Canadian Citizen Sentenced to Over Seven Years for Conspiring to Traffic Firearms From Atlanta to Ontario

Sourivahn Ed Phonthepsone, a 24-year-old Canadian citizen, has been sentenced to seven years and three months in federal prison for his involvement in an international firearms trafficking conspiracy. Phonthepsone conspired to transport 50 firearms from Atlanta, Georgia, to Ontario, Canada, in 2023, intending to resell the weapons.

“Firearm traffickers present a danger to communities everywhere, both nationally and internationally,” stated U.S. Attorney Ryan K. Buchanan. “We remain resolute in our unwavering commitment to work with our federal law enforcement partners to identify and dismantle gun trafficking operations and to prosecute those who jeopardize the safety of our communities by funneling firearms to criminals.”

The investigation revealed that Phonthepsone coordinated the purchase of the firearms for $40,000. He met with a source and an undercover federal agent in Dallas, Texas, to discuss logistics. Phonthepsone agreed to pay $800 per firearm, estimating that each gun would resell for approximately $2,000 in Canada. The conspiracy involved plans to transport 20 firearms at a time across the border.

On October 6, 2023, Phonthepsone traveled to Atlanta to finalize the transaction. He handed over $40,000 in cash at a storage unit in Fairburn, Georgia, where ATF agents arrested him after he initiated the transfer of the firearms.

ATF Assistant Agent in Charge Alicia D. Jones called the arrest “a significant victory in the fight against international firearms trafficking,” noting that the ATF’s operation ensured dangerous weapons did not reach criminal hands.

Phonthepsone pleaded guilty to the firearms trafficking conspiracy charge on April 29, 2024, and was sentenced by U.S. District Judge Thomas W. Thrash, Jr. His sentence will be followed by three years of supervised release.

The Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms, and Explosives (ATF) investigated the case, with Assistant U.S. Attorney Annalise K. Peters leading the prosecution. This case was prosecuted under the Bipartisan Safer Communities Act, a 2022 federal statute aimed at curbing unlawful firearms trafficking.