Two Glock pistols allegedly purchased by Edmond from a gun shop in Athens on May 15, 2021. (DOJ)
ATHENS, Ga. - Five people face federal charges for allegedly running an illegal firearms trafficking network that funneled weapons from Georgia to street gangs in Chicago.
U.S. Attorney William R. "Will" Keyes announced the 23-count indictment, which connects several smuggled weapons to acts of violence, including a murder.
Athens weapons pipeline
What we know:
A federal indictment unsealed last Tuesday charges Anthony Edmond, Rafael Enriquez, Elijah Lucena, Keontice Reed, and Melvin Griffin with running an interstate gun ring. Prosecutors said Edmond bought dozens of firearms from Georgia gun shops on behalf of Chicago gang members.
Edmond traveled from Georgia to Illinois to transport the weapons, which were shared with members of the Black Disciples, Conservative Vice Lords, and Mickey Cobras. The co-conspirators used social media and coded terms like "pipes," "straps," and "blicks" to coordinate their operations over the phone. Enriquez also supplied Edmond with conversion devices, referred to as "Nintendos," to turn semi-automatic handguns into fully automatic weapons.
A screenshot of Edmond allegedly firing a fully automatic Glock pistol equipped with a machine gun conversion device and magazine he was reportedly brokering for sale on Sept. 22, 2021. (DOJ)
Violent Chicago crimes
The backstory:
Law enforcement officers recovered 20 of the trafficked firearms across Illinois, Indiana, and Georgia. A forensic examination revealed that one Glock pistol bought in Athens was used in a Chicago murder just 36 days after its purchase.
A teenager later used that same weapon to shoot and injure a rival gang member on a Chicago Transit Authority bus. The teenager also fired the handgun 11 times on N. Drake Avenue, damaging three cars.
Coded smuggling operations
By the numbers:
The illegal operation spanned from March 27, 2020, through Feb. 15. Edmond bought at least 22 firearms during one ten-month stretch between September 2020 and July 2021.
If convicted, Edmond, Enriquez, and Griffin face a maximum penalty of life in prison. Reed faces up to 20 years, while Lucena faces a maximum of ten years.
Guns allegedly purchased by Edmond posted on Enriquez’s social media account and distributed in Chicago to gang members. (DOJ)
Unconfirmed ring details
What we don't know:
Officials have not yet confirmed the exact dates for each defendant's initial court appearance. It also remains unclear how many additional converted fully automatic weapons from this network remain on the streets.
The Source: The information in this story was gathered from U.S. Attorney William R. "Will" Keyes, who explained how we got it through a 23-count federal indictment, as well as statements made in court by Assistant U.S. Attorney Mike Morrison.