A federal jury on Thursday convicted Hassan Al Gharawi, a 54-year-old Iraqi national who lived in Sugar Land, of conspiring to violate U.S. gun-export laws after a three-day trial in Houston. The verdict wraps the criminal trial and puts Al Gharawi on the calendar for a Jan. 21, 2026 sentencing before U.S. District Judge Andrew Hanen, as reported by Click2Houston.
Prosecutors said Al Gharawi received two shipments in 2020 and 2021 totaling about 77 guns, stashed them at his home, and helped hide weapons inside vehicle parts bound for Iraq. Jurors saw photos of more than 500 firearms, heard recordings of Al Gharawi discussing the plan, and watched surveillance of him loading guns into his vehicle and driving them to a storage unit on June 10, 2021. After roughly two hours of deliberation, U.S. Attorney Nicholas J. Ganjei announced the conviction and the sentencing date, according to Click2Houston.
Federal Enforcement In The Region
Authorities have been cracking down on similar export schemes around Houston. In March 2020, agents intercepted roughly 473 handguns at a Port of Houston warehouse that were headed for Iraq. The U.S. Attorney's Office for the Southern District of Texas later traced some weapons to a local dealer and secured a related conviction and sentence, a case built with ATF, FBI and other federal partners, per the U.S. Attorney's Office for the Southern District of Texas.
Defense, Custody, And What's Next
At trial, Al Gharawi’s lawyers argued he acted under duress from traffickers in Iraq. The jury didn’t buy it. He had been out on bond earlier in the case but was taken into custody after the verdict and will remain detained until sentencing. He faces up to 20 years in prison and a maximum $1 million fine for the export-related conspiracy, per Click2Houston.
What To Watch
Sentencing on Jan. 21, 2026 is the next big date, when the judge will weigh filings from both sides. Any motions or sentencing memos will be posted in Southern District of Texas court records ahead of the hearing, as per Click2Houston.
