US Army Major sentenced to 70 months for smuggling firearms to Ghana

A U.S. Army Major, Kojo Owusu Dartey, has been sentenced to 70 months in prison and three years of supervised release for his involvement in a firearms smuggling operation to Ghana.

Dartey, 42, was found guilty by a jury on April 23, 2024, and convicted of multiple offences, including conspiracy, dealing in firearms without a licence, and smuggling goods from the United States.

According to court records and evidence presented at trial, Dartey played a key role in a 16-defendant marriage fraud scheme involving soldiers at Fort Liberty and foreign nationals from Ghana. He later provided a tip that led to the prosecution of the case.

During the trial of U.S. v. Agyapong between June 28 and July 2, 2021, Dartey lied under oath about his sexual relationship with a defence witness. Additionally, while the trial was ongoing, he purchased seven firearms in the Fort Liberty area and enlisted a U.S. Army Staff Sergeant at Fort Campbell, Kentucky, to acquire three more firearms and send them to North Carolina.

Dartey then concealed the weapons inside blue barrels, hiding them under rice and household goods. With the help of an Army Chief Warrant Officer, he smuggled the barrels out of the Port of Baltimore, Maryland, on a container ship destined for the Port of Tema in Ghana.

The smuggling attempt was thwarted when the Ghana Revenue Authority discovered the hidden firearms upon arrival at the Port of Tema. The seizure was subsequently reported to the U.S. Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA) attaché in Ghana and the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives (ATF) Baltimore Field Division.

Announcing the sentencing, Daniel Bubar, Acting U.S. Attorney for the Eastern District of North Carolina, underscored the severity of the offences. The case was investigated by the ATF, the Army Criminal Investigation Division (CID), and the U.S. Department of Commerce’s Office of Export Enforcement.

Chief U.S. District Judge Richard E. Myers II presided over the sentencing, while Assistant U.S. Attorney Gabriel J. Diaz prosecuted the case.

Dartey’s conviction highlights ongoing efforts by U.S. authorities to curb illegal arms trafficking and ensure that those who violate federal law face justice.