Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives

 OAKLAND – Andre Martel Winn was sentenced today to 14 years in prison for his role in orchestrating an elaborate illegal interstate firearm trafficking scheme, as well as robbery and  firearms charges, announced United States Attorney Alex G. Tse and Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms, and Explosives (ATF) Special Agent in Charge Ray Roundtree.  The sentence was imposed by the Honorable Haywood S. Gilliam, Jr., U.S. District Judge.

Winn was convicted of the crimes on July 18, 2018, following a bench trial based on stipulated facts.  According to court documents, Winn was one of nine defendants participating in the illegal interstate firearm trafficking scheme.  The other defendants are Oakland resident Edgar De La Cruz, 21; Reno, Nev. residents Richard Straight, 28, Jenna Jeanne Allec, 26, Jonathan Salevao, 29, Kaleka Mile Kam, 25, and Quinton Kalifa Endemann, 30; Elko, Nev. resident Kenneth Lee Kemp, 34; and Sparks, Nev. resident Daniel Taylor Taufi, 26.  Winn worked with codefendants to purchase dozens of firearms in Nevada and have them transported to and sold in California.  Winn had Nevada-based co-conspirators purchase specific types of firearms at his request and then he wired money from Oakland to Nevada to pay for the gun purchases.  Court documents demonstrate that Allec, Kemp, Kam, Taufi, and Endemann purchased the firearms from licensed Nevada firearm dealers and then negotiated with Salevao and Straight to sell the arms to Winn and De La Cruz.  Further, Winn and De La Cruz traveled from Oakland to Reno to retrieve the firearms.  Winn and De La Cruz then transported the firearms to the San Francisco Bay Area where they were sold. 

From March of 2015 through October of 2016, well over 60 firearms were purchased, transported, and sold in violation of federal firearms laws via this scheme.  A number of the firearms trafficked during the conspiracy have been recovered in Oakland and elsewhere in the Bay Area by local police officers in the course of law enforcement operations. 

“Today’s sentence should serve as a reminder to all those who may consider getting involved is the sale of illegal firearms,” said U.S. Attorney Tse.  “This office will prosecute to the fullest extent of the law anyone caught unlawfully disseminating these weapons into our communities.”

“In the pursuit of our commitment to the public and our communities, ATF special agents followed evidence of significant purchases of firearms being trafficked and resold without these individuals holding federal firearms licenses, which is a violation of federal law,” said Special Agent in Charge Roundtree. “This investigation involved routine, multiple sales and trace reports. ATF utilized its Crime Gun Intelligence Centers to glean information on firearms that showed up at crime scenes which were recently purchased. ATF personnel is dedicated to making sure firearms are not going into the hands of criminals and used in violent crimes in our neighborhoods.”

In addition to charges resulting from his role in the firearms trafficking scheme, Winn also was sentenced today for his role in a robbery, being a felon in possession of a firearm, and brandishing firearms in furtherance of a crime of violence.  Court documents reflect that before participating in the firearms trafficking scheme, he had a felony conviction.  Winn therefore was prohibited from possessing or receiving firearms.  In addition, court documents and evidence demonstrate that Winn and De La Cruz each brandished a firearm when they robbed a gas station on High Street in Oakland in 2015.  On that occasion, the defendants absconded with approximately $2,000 in cash.

In sum, the defendants have been convicted of the following crimes and sentenced as set forth below:

All of the defendants were convicted of federal felony crimes making it a federal felony for any of them to possess a firearm or ammunition in the future.

The prosecution is the result of an investigation by the ATF Crime Gun Intelligence Center, San Francisco Field Division.  

Further Information:

            Case #: CR 16-00516 HSG, CR 17-522 HSG

            A copy of this press release will be placed on the U.S. Attorney's Office's website at www.usdoj.gov/usao/can. 

            Electronic court filings and further procedural and docket information are available at https://ecf.cand.uscourts.gov/cgi-bin/login.pl.

            Judges' calendars with schedules for upcoming court hearings can be viewed on the court's website at www.cand.uscourts.gov. 

            All press inquiries to the U.S. Attorney's Office should be directed to Abraham Simmons at (415) 436-7264 or by e-mail at Abraham.Simmons@usdoj.gov.

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