Newark Man Pleads Guilty to Firearms Trafficking and Narcotics Distribution Charges

Carlo De Leon De Jesus admitted to illegally selling guns and drugs, including fentanyl and assault-style rifles, to undercover agents over a three-month span in 2023.

NEW JERSEY - A Newark resident has pleaded guilty to multiple firearms and drug trafficking charges, including the sale of high-powered weapons and controlled substances to undercover law enforcement agents, federal authorities announced.

Carlo M. De Leon De Jesus, 28, of Newark, pleaded guilty before U.S. District Judge Robert Kirsch in Trenton federal court to four federal offenses: dealing firearms without a license, transferring firearms to an out-of-state resident, firearms trafficking, and conspiracy to distribute narcotics. His sentencing is scheduled for July 28, 2025.

According to court documents and statements made in court, between July and September 2023, De Leon De Jesus sold multiple firearms and narcotics directly to law enforcement officers. The firearms included a pistol, a semiautomatic handgun, a short-barrel rifle, and an AK-style assault rifle. In addition to the weapons, he also sold fentanyl, heroin, and cocaine.

Each firearms offense—dealing without a license and transferring firearms across state lines—carries a maximum sentence of five years in prison and a $250,000 fine. The firearms trafficking charge carries up to 15 years in prison. The narcotics conspiracy charge is punishable by up to 20 years in prison and a fine of $1 million.

The investigation was led by special agents of the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives (ATF) in Newark, with support from the Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA) and Homeland Security Investigations (HSI), all operating under their respective Newark Field Divisions.

Assistant U.S. Attorney Robert Taj Moore of the Narcotics/OCDETF unit in Newark is prosecuting the case.