Five people are charged in a 13-count federal indictment alleging that firearms bought illegally in North Carolina were trafficked to Washington, D.C., Maryland, Virginia, New Jersey and Grenada. U.S. Attorney Jeanine Pirro said the weapons were connected to drugs, robberies and a homicide, and alleged that some reached convicted felons and other criminals.
Pirro and U.S. Attorney Ellis Boyle, who oversees the Eastern District of North Carolina, announced charges including gun trafficking, conspiracy, and aiding and abetting, according to WJLA. The indictment and alleged interstate operation were also detailed by Carolina Journal.
Alleged Ringleaders and Two Special Police Officers
Prosecutors identified Brian Agee, also known as B, and Frank Harris, known as Fat Boy, as the alleged leaders, according to the station's report. Pirro said both men have previous felony convictions involving robberies and firearms offenses. Also charged were two licensed D.C. Special Police Officers, Arnise Young and Antonique Whitaker, the same account notes.
Whitaker reportedly worked as a contracted security officer for D.C. Public Schools in 2022 and continued in that role through 2024, according to the same reporting. The District has roughly 7,700 commissioned Special Police Officers working for private security firms, according to the DC Justice Lab; Semafor reports approximately 3,100 sworn Metropolitan Police Department officers. Special Police Officers must complete at least 40 hours of general training and 56 hours of firearms instruction before carrying a weapon on duty, per the DC Justice Lab.
What D.C. Special Police Officers Can Do
The Metropolitan Police Department’s guidance distinguishes commissioned Special Police Officers from security officers, who have no arrest authority in the District’s private security industry. An SPO’s authority is generally limited to the property the officer is contracted to protect, with an exception for fresh pursuit of a misdemeanant or felon, according to the Metropolitan Police Department. The guidance sets out these limits on legal authority; it does not provide a broader comparison of accountability rules for SPOs and MPD officers.
Straw Purchases and Weapons Traced to Crime Scenes
Prosecutors allege that straw purchasers obtained firearms under false pretenses for people barred by law from buying guns themselves, conduct Pirro described as a federal offense. Investigators say serial-number traces connected firearms to crime scenes and police investigations in several states. ATF Special Agent in Charge Anthony Spotswood said ballistics technology allows agents to link firearms to crimes across state lines, the outlet reports.
The indictment's examples span several years. A Glock 30 was discarded during a police chase in Southeast D.C. on December 31, 2024; Prince George's County police found a Taurus during an eviction-warrant search on May 19, 2025. During a drug-related search on June 10, 2025, MPD and ATF recovered four firearms, including a Glock 33 tied to the operation. In 2026, three firearms—including a Glock 40 linked to the network—were dropped by a group fleeing police on May 8, and a Glock was recovered June 1 during an investigation into an attempted robbery during a drug deal. Pirro said other firearms surfaced in investigations involving fentanyl, cocaine, PCP and other drugs.
Fast Turnaround Signals Straw Buying
Pirro said some of the weapons moved quickly from original purchase to recovery in connection with crimes, a pattern federal agents treat as a red flag.
Pirro said buying several identical guns at once, or making repeated firearm purchases over a short period, can also indicate straw purchasing. ATF officials say licensed firearms dealers often provide tips about suspicious buyers that help investigators identify potential trafficking operations before weapons hit the street.
Part of a Broader Federal Crackdown
ATF trace data has long identified North Carolina alongside Virginia and Georgia as top source states for crime handguns illegally transported along the Interstate 95 corridor often called the Iron Pipeline into Washington, D.C., according to the 3D CAC. This case was coordinated with the Trump administration's Make D.C. Safe and Beautiful Task Force.
Pirro, who was nominated by President Trump in May 2025 and confirmed by the Senate on August 3, 2025, took the post after years as a Westchester County, New York, prosecutor and judge and as a Fox News co-host, according to CBS News. The straw purchasing and trafficking charges in this case fall under the Bipartisan Safer Communities Act of 2022, which created dedicated federal statutes carrying penalties of up to 15 years in prison, or up to 25 years if the buyer knew the weapon was linked to drug trafficking or violent crime, according to Flatiron Legal Advisors.
This case follows a string of similar prosecutions along the East Coast. Hoodline previously reported on a Georgia-to-D.C. pipeline busted in March, and North Carolina has seen a string of related federal cases this year, including sentencings in Gastonia and Mooresboro tied to combined gun and drug trafficking.
