Three Fort Worth men arrested in ATF bust, allegedly illegally sold guns
Three Fort Worth men accused of illegally selling guns were arrested in an ATF bust this week, announced Leigha Simonton, U.S. attorney for the Northern District of Texas.
Michael Smith, 36, Khalid Amill, 27, and Rondell Jones, 27, were arrested in Fort Worth on Tuesday and were charged via criminal complaint with conspiracy to deal in firearms without a license and possession of a firearm.
If convicted, Smith and Amil face up to 35 years in federal prison, while Jones faces up to 15 years in prison.
Smith and Amil were also charged with drug offenses, as were three other men arrested during the bust: William Davis, 42, and Dwayne Purnell, 54 — who were both charged with possession with intent to distribute methamphetamine — and Jaquan Thomas, 23, charged with conspiracy to possess with intent to distribute cocaine.
Davis could face up to 40 years in prison if convicted and Thomas could face up to 20 years in prison.
All six defendants made their initial appearances before U.S. Magistrate Judge Jeffrey L. Cureton in Fort Worth on Thursday.
Smith, Amill, Jones, and their co-conspirators sold more than two dozen firearms to undercover agents over the course of a month and a half, according to court documents. On multiple occasions, co-conspirators were informed that the guns they sold would be trafficked across the border into Mexico, where they would be illegally resold.
Court documents allege they repeatedly bragged that they could obtain fully automatic AK and AR-style rifles, referred to as “choppers.” On one occasion, Smith and a co-conspirator allegedly attempted to sell a Smith & Wesson pistol that they claimed was equipped with a custom firing pin that made it automatic, according to the U.S. Attorney’s Office. When an undercover agent expressed skepticism, they claimed the firing pin was “internal.”
On another occasion, Smith allegedly acted as middleman for the sale of a short-barreled Seekins Precision rifle equipped with a selector switch that moved from safe, to single shot, to automatic, according to court documents.
Smith also allegedly brokered the sale of a privately manufactured firearm — commonly referred to as a “ghost gun” — that contained an extended magazine, which are attachments that can be added to firearms to carry more bullets.
The Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms, & Explosives’ Dallas Field Division conducted the investigation in partnership with the Fort Worth Police Department’s Gang Unit. Assistant U.S. Attorney Levi Thomas is prosecuting the case.
