A Chicago man is facing charges of federal firearm violations after being accused of illegally trafficking a cache of firearms to Ghana in West Africa, according to a criminal complaint filed in the U.S. District Court in Chicago; Anthony Nee Amoo, 54, was arrested this week and is alleged to have purchased and exported 71 firearms over a period extending from 2006 to 2024 without the proper authorization from the United States government, authorities stated Monday.

The complaint, which led to Nee Amoo's detainment, outlines how the defendant has been maneuvering firearms into Ghana by concealing them in vehicles and barrels or personally carrying them on trips, a practice that continued over years despite the legal warnings provided on federal forms that Nee Amoo signed for each of the 29 firearms purchased since October 2020, those documents warned that exporting firearms without government permission could lead to fines or imprisonment, yet this did not curb his alleged actions.

Acting United States Attorney for the Northern District of Illinois, Morris Pasqual, and Special Agent-in-Charge of the Chicago Field Division of the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives (ATF), Christopher Amon, announced the charges, with Assistant U.S. Attorneys LeighAnn M. Thomas and Michael Maione representing the government, the case is a collaborative effort among law enforcement agencies as part of a decentralized operation aimed at intensifying the fight against gun violence through the identification and apprehension of individuals involved in illegal firearm distribution networks.

The U.S. Attorney's Office strategically aligns with partners such as the FBI, ATF, Chicago Police Department, and other federal and state entities under the Department of Justice's initiatives like the Chicago firearms trafficking strike force, and Project Safe Neighborhoods.