North Texas man charged with illegally selling 92 guns; at least 16 used in crimes: DOJ
A North Texas man who federal authorities say bought nearly 100 guns and sold them to other people without a federal firearm license and without conducting background checks was arrested Friday.
Demontre Antwon Hackworth, 31, of Dallas, bought 92 guns from federally licensed firearms dealers, with 75 of those purchased within a six-month period from a single dealer who later gave up their seller’s license, the U.S. Department of Justice said in a news release. Hackworth resold the weapons and at least 16 of the guns have been found in Texas, Maryland and Canada connected to violent crimes, including murder and aggravated assault, the DOJ said.
“We are cracking down on the criminal gun-trafficking pipelines that flood our communities with illegal guns, and we have instructed our federal prosecutors and law enforcement agents to prioritize prosecutions of those who are responsible for the greatest gun violence,” Attorney General Merrick B. Garland said in the release.
Three of the seized weapons have been used in at least seven crimes, the Justice Department said, adding that one gun alone was unlawfully possessed and used in two aggravated assaults.
“At least 14 of the 16 recovered guns were recovered in incidents within one year of purchase,” the release said. “One was recovered from an incident just seven days after Hackworth purchased it.”
The 31-year-old was indicted in early June on charges of dealing firearms without a license and making false statements while purchasing the weapons. If convicted, Hackworth can face up to 35 years in prison.
“Illegal firearms trafficking is not a victimless crime,” said Special Agent in Charge Jeff Boshek of the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives’ (ATF) Dallas Field Division. “There are real consequences when individuals illegally engage in the business of buying and selling firearms.”
This story was originally published June 14, 2022 at 10:15 AM.
