New York Attorney and Administrative Officer Pleads Guilty to Attempted Smuggling of Firearms, Ammunition to Haiti

MIAMI - On April 18, 2025, Marcel Pierre Denis, 58, pled guilty to a two-count information charging him with April 2022 and October 2022 attempts to smuggle firearms from Miami to Haiti.

In connection with the plea, Denis admitted that, in April 2022, law enforcement conducted an inspection of outbound cargo at a shipping warehouse in Miami-Dade County and discovered an AR-15-style semiautomatic rifle, a rifle magazine, and rifle ammunition in a cargo box manifested for shipment to Haiti. Denis was listed as the shipper on a shipping invoice for the box. Employees of the shipping carrier otherwise identified and recognized Denis as a frequent customer who had previously submitted cargo for shipment to Haiti. In a May 2022 interview, Denis acknowledged that he had attempted to ship the firearm and ammunition for Haiti and that he had not obtained any export permit or license for the shipment.

In October 2022, law enforcement again conducted an inspection of outbound cargo at a shipping warehouse in Miami-Dade County. During this inspection, law enforcement encountered a cargo box manifested for shipment to Haiti that contained, among other items, a semiautomatic pistol that had been wrapped in duct tape and then concealed inside of a coffee container. Denis was again listed as the shipper on the shipping invoice for the box. Employees of the shipping carrier again identified Denis as the individual who had dropped off the cargo for shipment and filled out the shipping forms. Law enforcement conducted a trace and obtained purchase records for the pistol, which reflected that Denis had purchased the pistol from a retailer in the Southern District of Florida.

In a November 2022 interview, Denis acknowledged his interactions with law enforcement after the April 2022 shipment, acknowledged his purchase of the pistol concealed among the October 2022 shipment, and stated that he intended to ship the firearms to an associate in Haiti for protection of a retail business.

In connection with the plea, Denis admitted that he was aware of his need for an export license or permit to ship firearms or ammunition to Haiti, and that he was otherwise licensed to practice law and serving as an administrative hearing officer in the State of New York at the time of each shipment.

U.S. District Judge Jose E. Martinez is presiding over the case. Denis faces a maximum term of ten years' imprisonment as to each count. The sentencing hearing has been set for July 7, 2025. Judge Martinez will sentence Denis after a review of the U.S. Sentencing Guidelines and other statutory factors.

U.S. Attorney Hayden P. O'Byrne for the Southern District of Florida and Acting Special Agent in Charge José R. Figueroa of the Department of Homeland Security, Homeland Security Investigations (HSI), Miami Field Division, announced the guilty plea.

HSI investigated the case. Customs and Border Protection provided valuable assistance. Assistant U.S. Attorney Sterling M. Paulson is prosecuting the case.

This case is part of Project Safe Neighborhoods (PSN), a program bringing together all levels of law enforcement and the communities they serve to reduce gun violence and other violent crime, and to make our neighborhoods safer for everyone. On May 26, 2021, the Department launched a violent crime reduction strategy strengthening PSN based on these core principles: fostering trust and legitimacy in our communities, supporting community-based organizations that help prevent violence from occurring in the first place, setting focused and strategic enforcement priorities, and measuring the results. For more information about Project Safe Neighborhoods, please visit Justice.gov/PSN.

Related court documents and information may be found on the website of the District Court for the Southern District of Florida at www.flsd.uscourts.gov or at http://pacer.flsd.uscourts.gov, under case number 25-cr- 20139.

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