The U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Western District of New York announced Sept. 29 that two men have pleaded guilty in a gun‑trafficking conspiracy that moved firearms into the Western District of New York.
Hassian Humphrey, 24, of Rochester, pleaded guilty to conspiracy to commit firearms offenses; co-defendant Keishawn Turner, 25, of Kannapolis, North Carolina, pleaded guilty to conspiracy to engage in the firearms business without a license. Each plea carries a maximum statutory penalty of up to five years in prison, the office said.
According to the U.S. Attorney’s Office, the conspiracy operated between May 2022 and June 24, 2025, and involved additional alleged co‑conspirators identified in the release as Jylin Woods; Benjamin Martin (also known by several aliases); and Jerry Antonio Baine (also known by an alias). The announcement says the defendants exchanged photos and videos of firearms, negotiated prices, and transported firearms purchased in North Carolina into Western New York for resale.
The release describes several specific incidents. In October 2023, Humphrey and Turner allegedly transported five firearms, including a so‑called ghost gun, from North Carolina into the Western District of New York; two of those firearms were recovered during search warrants executed in Buffalo in December 2023. In May 2022, Humphrey and Jylin Woods were stopped in Oak Hill, West Virginia, and two firearms were seized. The release also states that Baine sent Humphrey photographs of about 19 firearms, including privately manufactured guns without serial numbers, and that Baine bought multiple firearms at North Carolina retail stores that were ultimately sold to Humphrey. One firearm tied to those purchases was recovered in Buffalo in July 2024 in a separate investigation.
The U.S. Attorney’s Office noted that none of the defendants were licensed importers, manufacturers, dealers, or collectors of firearms. Charges remain pending against Jylin Woods, Benjamin Martin, and Jerry Antonio Baine, according to the release. Sentencing for Humphrey and Turner has not yet been scheduled.
The office said the pleas resulted from an investigation by the Buffalo Police Department and the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives, and that the case is being prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorneys Louis A. Testani and Monica Benjovsky. The announcement also identified the matter as part of the Department of Justice initiative “Operation Take Back America.”
Source: press release from the U.S. Attorney’s Office, Western District of New York.
