A Key West man has been sentenced to 30 months in prison after pleading guilty to smuggling firearms to Haiti. Jean Wiltene Eugene, a 57-year-old U.S. citizen originally from Haiti, was also ordered to pay a $20,000 fine for orchestrating the gunrunning operation. Caught shipping firearms hidden within vehicles, Eugene violated several U.S. laws and regulations, including those set by the Export Administration Regulations and the Export Control Reform Act of 2018, as confirmed by the U.S. Attorney's Office.
On April 11, Eugene accepted his guilt for the smuggling charge, with Judge Carl J. Nichols subjecting him to 24 months of supervised release. The case was brought to light in a statement issued by U.S. Attorney Jeanine Ferris Pirro, alongside officials from the Justice Department and FBI. Born in Haiti and residing in Florida, Eugene conducted his illegal activities between 2020 and 2021 and was ultimately arrested on May 4, 2024.
Eugene's method for smuggling involved concealing firearms within vehicles that were then shipped to Haiti through a Florida-based export company. Despite signing an agreement with the company acknowledging that the cars would contain neither firearms nor ammunition, Eugene betrayed this assertion, later admitting to law enforcement that he placed food and other items around the bins to hide the weapons during border inspections.
Following his arrest, Eugene claimed that the nine firearms he purchased in Key West were at his gas station in Haiti, noting that none remained in the United States, he told federal agents. The investigation, spearheaded by the FBI Miami Field Office and supported by several federal agencies, culminated in the prosecution led by Assistant U.S. Attorney Kimberly Paschall and Trial Attorney Beau Barnes, with former Assistant U.S. Attorney Pravallika Palacharla also playing a vital role.
