Gun Trafficker Utilizing Amtrak to Move Guns Up the ‘Iron Pipeline’ Sentenced to Over Two Years in Prison

DOJ Press

PHILADELPHIA –United States Attorney Jennifer Arbittier Williams announced that Junious Flemming, 29, of Trenton, NJ, was sentenced to two years and three months in prison, and three years of supervised release by United States District Judge Nitza I. Quiñones-Alejandro for trafficking 40 semi-automatic firearms from North Carolina into Philadelphia and New Jersey via Amtrak’s Philadelphia 30th Street Station.

In September 2021, the defendant pleaded guilty to charges including one count of criminal conspiracy and three counts of transporting firearms on a common carrier. From October 2020 through March 2021, on at least three separate occasions, Flemming paid for his co-conspirators to purchase firearms in North Carolina and then transport them by train to Philadelphia. Many of the semi-automatic firearms were subsequently trafficked into New Jersey by the defendant. The trafficking only stopped after federal agents executed a search warrant at 30th Street Station on March 9, 2021, discovered 10 semi-automatic firearms in the luggage of the defendant’s co-conspirator, and then arrested Flemming as he picked up his co-conspirator from the station.

“When I announced the All Hands On Deck initiative in April 2021, I vowed that our Office would do all we could to stop the violence ravaging our city and support the Philadelphia Police Department in its work,” said U.S. Attorney Williams. “And earlier this month, the Justice Department announced strategies to stem the flow of firearms used to commit violence and support local law enforcement partners, including cracking down on firearms trafficking and the ‘iron pipeline’ – the illegal flow of guns sold in mostly southern states, transported up the East Coast, and found at crime scenes in cities like ours. Today’s sentencing demonstrates that we are aggressively engaged in doing this work; we are keeping our word to focus on getting the most dangerous criminals and firearms off the street.”

“ATF continues to work with our local, state, and federal partners to reduce violence in our communities,” said Matthew Varisco, Special Agent in charge of ATF’s Philadelphia Field Division. “Facilitating illicit transactions of firearms jeopardizes the safety of our citizens. These offenses will always be taken seriously and today the community is safer thanks to the outstanding work by our partners at the U.S Attorney’s Office.” 


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 violent crime and make our neighborhoods safer for everyone.   The Department of Justice reinvigorated PSN in 2017 as part of the Department’s renewed focus on targeting violent criminals, directing all U.S. Attorney’s Offices to work in partnership with federal, state, local, and tribal law enforcement and the local community to develop effective, locally-based strategies to reduce violent crime.


The case was investigated and charged by the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives and Assistant United States Attorney Michael R. Miller.  

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