Buckeye Reporter

An Ivorian national has been extradited to the United States to face charges related to a firearms trafficking conspiracy. Bile Jean Philippe Assemian, 49, appeared in U.S. District Court on September 26 after being arrested in Kenya on June 26 by Kenyan authorities at the request of the United States. He was surrendered following an extradition request.

According to a superseding indictment, Assemian and his alleged co-conspirator, Koffi Andrea Versaint Taregue, 45, are accused of obtaining at least 58 firearms in Northern Ohio and other locations between November 2018 and October 2020. The indictment states that they coordinated with others to purchase firearms or bought them themselves, then concealed the weapons in household goods for export. Authorities allege that an export company was used to ship these items out of the country without disclosing that they contained firearms and related parts such as suppressors. The defendants did not have required written approvals or licenses from the U.S. Department of Commerce or U.S. Department of State for these exports.

Taregue remains at large.

United States Attorney David M. Toepfer for the Northern District of Ohio and Special Agent in Charge Greg Nelsen of the FBI Cleveland Division announced the charges.

Assemian is charged with conspiracy to smuggle goods from the United States and faces up to five years in prison if convicted.

Taregue faces multiple charges: conspiracy to smuggle goods from the United States, six counts of smuggling goods from the United States, six counts related to control of arms exports and imports, one count each for unlicensed dealing in firearms, making a false statement to the FBI, and making a false statement during a firearm purchase. If convicted on all counts, he could face up to 205 years in prison.

Sentencing will be determined by the court based on several factors unique to each defendant’s case, including prior criminal record, role in the offense, and characteristics of the violation.

The investigation was conducted by members of the Cleveland Joint Terrorism Task Force—including agents from FBI Cleveland Division, U.S. Customs and Border Protection, and ATF—with additional assistance from U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement-Homeland Security Investigations.

Assistant United States Attorney Segev Phillips is leading prosecution efforts with support from Trial Attorney Yifei Zheng of the Justice Department’s National Security Division Counterintelligence and Export Control Section.

The Justice Department’s Office of International Affairs played a significant role in securing Assemian’s arrest and extradition from Kenya through cooperation with Kenyan agencies such as its Office of Director of Public Prosecutions; Directorate of Criminal Investigations; Directorate of Immigration Services; Aviation Authority; Police Service; as well as assistance from FBI’s Legal Attaché Office in Nairobi.

"An indictment is merely an allegation. Defendants are presumed innocent until proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt in a court of law."