Two Virginia men sentenced for firearms trafficking, possession of machine guns and related offenses (DOJ)

TRENTON, N.J. - Two Virginia men have been sentenced for weapons offenses related to their trafficking of firearms and machinegun conversion devices, U.S. Attorney Robert Frazer announced.

Lawrence Higgs, 37, of Portsmouth, Virginia, was sentenced on September 16, 2026, to 150 months in prison and three years of supervised release. Higgs previously pled guilty before U.S. District Judge Robert Kirsch to a four-count Superseding Information charging him with conspiracy to traffic firearms, engaging in unlicensed firearms dealing, unlawful possession of machine guns, and unlawful possession of a firearm by a felon. Tariq Haywood-Echols, 32, also of Portsmouth, Virginia, was sentenced today to 121 months in prison and three years of supervised release. Haywood-Echols previously pled guilty before Judge Kirsch to a three-count Superseding Information charging him with conspiracy to traffic firearms, engaging in unlicensed firearms dealing, and unlawful possession of machine guns.

According to documents filed in this case and statements made in court:

Beginning in July 2024, the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives (ATF), together with state and local law enforcement agencies, initiated an investigation into Higgs and Haywood-Echols-both of whom had previously been convicted of felony offenses-for firearms trafficking. During the investigation, law enforcement conducted multiple controlled purchases of firearms from Higgs and Haywood-Echols, resulting in the recovery of more than a dozen firearms, more than a dozen machinegun conversion devices (MCDs), and substantial quantities of ammunition. MCDs, which themselves are classified as machineguns by statute, are capable of converting semi-automatic firearms into fully automatic weapons that release multiple rounds of ammunition with the single pull of a trigger.

Higgs and Haywood-Echols sold these firearms to an individual knowing that the individual was a convicted felon and intended to resell the firearms to subsequent purchasers. On September 10, 2025, law enforcement arrested Higgs and Haywood-Echols while they were attempting to conduct another firearms sale. When officers announced their presence, Higgs fled and was apprehended approximately one block away with ammunition in his pocket.

U.S. Attorney Frazer credited special agents of the ATF Newark Field Division, under the direction of Special Agent in Charge Beau Kolodka, as well as the Somerset County Prosecutor's Office, under the direction of Prosecutor John P. McDonald, and the New Jersey State Police, under the direction of Acting Superintendent Jeanne Hengemuhle, with the investigation leading to these convictions.

This case is part of Operation Take Back America, a nationwide initiative that marshals the full resources of the Department of Justice to repel the invasion of illegal immigration, achieve the total elimination of cartels and transnational criminal organizations (TCOs), and protect our communities from the perpetrators of violent crime.

The government is represented by Assistant U.S. Attorneys Matt Belgiovine and Richard Shephard of the Criminal Division in Trenton.

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Defense counsel:

Higgs: David Schafer, Esq.

Haywood-Echols: F.R. "Chip" Dunne, III, Esq.

Updated September 22, 2026

Firearms Offenses

Component

USAO - New Jersey Press Release Number: 26-200