After a hired arms supplier pleaded guilty to charges including illicit trafficking in military-grade weapons and money laundering, the US government seized roughly 6.1 million dollars belonging to Nigeria.
The forfeiture was ordered by Judge Erica Grosjean of the United States District Court for the Eastern District of California after Ara Dolarian, an unlicensed armed dealer hired by the Nigerian government to help circumvent the United States’ ban on arms sales to Nigeria, admitted to conducting arms sales without the necessary licenses.
Mr. Dolarian was detained on May 15, 2019, after originally denying any misconduct. On June 27, he pled guilty. According to court documents, his punishment hearing will begin on September 24, 2021, and could end on October 6, 2021.
