Buffalo Man Pleads Guilty in Gun Trafficking Conspiracy: Sold a Handgun for $600
The U.S. Attorney's Office for the Western District of New York announced on November 2, 2026, that Benjamin Martin, 21, of Buffalo, New York, has pleaded guilty to transferring a firearm to an out-of-state resident. U.S. Attorney Michael DiGiacomo announced the plea; the charge carries a maximum penalty of five years in prison.
According to court documents, between March 2023 and June 23, 2025, Martin conspired with Hassain Humphrey, Keishawn Turner, Jylin Woods, and Jerry Antonio Baine to illegally sell firearms. On November 10, 2023, Martin and Humphrey met an individual in Amherst, New York, to sell a handgun for $600, and the transaction was ultimately completed with assistance from Woods. Martin told the buyer he would be able to sell him additional firearms.
Between November 10 and December 14, 2023, Martin messaged the individual about selling a privately manufactured handgun without a serial number, commonly called a "ghost gun," and a revolver, discussing prices and coordinating a meeting location. He also messaged Humphrey that he had secured a buyer for two firearms, including the ghost gun, and the two discussed how they would split the profits with a third, unnamed individual. Martin admitted that neither he, Humphrey, nor the buyer was a licensed importer, manufacturer, dealer, or collector of firearms.
Humphrey, Turner, and Baine were previously convicted and are awaiting sentencing, while charges remain pending against Woods. The plea is the result of an investigation by the Buffalo Police Department, under Commissioner Erika Shields, and the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives, under Special Agent-in-Charge Bryan DiGirolamo. Assistant U.S. Attorneys Louis A. Testani and Monica Benjovsky are prosecuting the case. Sentencing is scheduled for March 4, 2027, before U.S. District Judge Lawrence J. Vilardo. The case is part of Operation Take Back America, the Justice Department's nationwide initiative.
Source: U.S. Department of Justice
Published by GSM · USA (original Chinese edition)
Photo: 图：位于 Washington 的美国司法部总部大楼（资料图）。 / Photo: The U.S. Department of Justice headquarters in Washington (file photo).
