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Raleigh, Wake County

Raleigh: Grand jury charges five in alleged gun trafficking to Washington, D.C.

Prosecutors in Raleigh said ATF arrested one person here and four in Maryland. The indictment accuses the group of sending about 40 guns out of North Carolina.

DevelopingOfficials are still releasing information. We update this story as facts are confirmed.

By Triangle Local Newsroom · Published

Downtown Raleigh buildings under a blue sky

File photo: James Willamor (CC BY-SA 3.0), via Wikimedia Commons.

What we know

Confirmed

  • The U.S. Attorney's Office for the Eastern District of North Carolina said Wednesday, Oct. 21, 2026, that a federal grand jury in that district returned a 13-count indictment charging five people with offenses that include conspiracy to traffic firearms, firearms trafficking, and making false statements to a federally licensed firearms dealer.Confirmed by U.S. Attorney's Office, Eastern District of North Carolina, Oct. 21, 2026
  • The same release said ATF agents arrested the five after the indictment. Four were arrested in Maryland and one in Raleigh.Confirmed by U.S. Attorney's Office, Eastern District of North Carolina, Oct. 21, 2026
  • The office said the Make DC Safe and Beautiful Task Force executed five federal arrest warrants on Tuesday, Oct. 20, 2026.Confirmed by U.S. Attorney's Office, Eastern District of North Carolina, Oct. 21, 2026
  • The indictment names Brian "B" Agee, 40, with one conspiracy count, six firearms-trafficking and aiding-and-abetting counts, and six counts of aiding a false statement to a licensed dealer; Arnise Lecresha Young, 33, with one conspiracy count, six aiding-trafficking counts, and six aiding-false-statement counts; Frank "Fatboy" Rayvone Harris, 38, with one conspiracy count; Antonique Whitaker, 34, with one conspiracy count, two aiding-trafficking counts, and two aiding-false-statement counts; and Christian Shedetta Atkinson, 30, with one conspiracy count and one false-statement count.Confirmed by U.S. Attorney's Office, Eastern District of North Carolina, Oct. 21, 2026
  • The office said Young and Whitaker hold valid Special Police Officer licenses in the District of Columbia.Confirmed by U.S. Attorney's Office, Eastern District of North Carolina, Oct. 21, 2026
  • If convicted, the release lists a maximum of 15 years in federal prison on the conspiracy and trafficking offenses and 10 years on the false-statement offenses. A federal district judge would set any sentence after the guidelines and other statutory factors.Confirmed by U.S. Attorney's Office, Eastern District of North Carolina, Oct. 21, 2026
  • The office said ATF is investigating and pointed readers to Case No. 5:26-CR-218 in the U.S. District Court for the Eastern District of North Carolina.Confirmed by U.S. Attorney's Office, Eastern District of North Carolina, Oct. 21, 2026
  • The release states that an indictment is only an accusation and that the defendants are presumed innocent until proven guilty.Confirmed by U.S. Attorney's Office, Eastern District of North Carolina, Oct. 21, 2026
  • WWAY, writing from the same announcement, listed the same five names, the Tuesday warrant service, one arrest in Raleigh and four in Maryland, and the about-40-firearms figure.Confirmed by WWAY, Oct. 21, 2026

Alleged or reported

  • The five took part in a firearms trafficking scheme that moved dozens of guns from North Carolina to Washington, D.C., and the National Capital Region.federal prosecutors, in the Oct. 21 U.S. Attorney's Office release
  • Co-conspirators supplied upwards of about 40 firearms to people in Washington, D.C., New Jersey, Maryland, Virginia, and Saint Georges, Grenada.the task force, as stated in the U.S. Attorney's Office release
  • Harris and Agee coordinated the finance of the scheme through Whitaker and Young.U.S. Attorney's Office caption on the Oct. 21 release

Still unknown

  • The hometown of each defendant. The written release we read does not give those addresses
  • Which of the five was arrested in Raleigh
  • Whether any of the five lives in Wake County
  • Bond, detention status, and the next court date
  • Whether a later court paper will add or drop counts

What this means for you

Instructions from U.S. District Court, Eastern District of North Carolina; U.S. Attorney's Office, Eastern District of North Carolina

This site is not a court and is not an emergency service. If anyone is in danger, call 911. For the case file, use the U.S. District Court for the Eastern District of North Carolina, Case No. 5:26-CR-218.

What happened

In Raleigh, federal prosecutors said Wednesday that a grand jury charged five people in an alleged plan to move guns from North Carolina to Washington, D.C.

The U.S. Attorney's Office for the Eastern District of North Carolina said ATF agents made the arrests after the indictment. One arrest was here. The other four were in Maryland. The warrants were served Tuesday, Oct. 20.

The 13 counts include conspiracy, trafficking, and false statements to licensed dealers. Prosecutors say the group supplied about 40 firearms to people in D.C., New Jersey, Maryland, Virginia, and Saint Georges, Grenada.

The indictment names Brian "B" Agee, 40, on conspiracy, six trafficking counts, plus six counts of aiding a false statement to a dealer. It names Arnise Lecresha Young, 33, for conspiracy, six counts of helping traffic guns, and six counts of helping with a false dealer form. Frank "Fatboy" Rayvone Harris, 38, faces only the conspiracy charge. Antonique Whitaker, 34, faces conspiracy, two aiding-trafficking counts, and two aiding-false-statement counts. Christian Shedetta Atkinson, 30, faces conspiracy and one false-statement count.

The office said Young and Whitaker hold valid Special Police Officer licenses in D.C. A caption with the release alleged that Harris and Agee coordinated financing through Whitaker and Young.

WWAY, writing from the same announcement, listed the same five names and the split between the Raleigh arrest and the four in Maryland.

If convicted, trafficking and conspiracy carry a 15-year federal maximum. The false-statement counts have a 10-year maximum. A federal judge would set any sentence.

The ATF is investigating. The release points to Case No. 5:26-CR-218.

An indictment is only an accusation. Each person is presumed innocent unless proven guilty.

The written release does not give hometowns and does not say which of the five was arrested in Raleigh.

This site is not a court. It is not an emergency service. If anyone is in danger, call 911.

Photos

Text-only. No outlet or office photos are used here.

Why it matters

Federal prosecutors in Raleigh say guns bought in North Carolina were sent to Washington, D.C., and other states. One of the five arrests was here. The charges are accusations, not findings of guilt.

Updates

  1. Oct 21, 2026, 4:05 PM

    The U.S. Attorney's Office announced a 13-count indictment and Tuesday's arrests, including one in Raleigh. The written release does not give hometowns or say which defendant was arrested here.

Sources

  1. Five Arrested, Federally Charged in Gun Running Scheme from NC to DC (Oct. 21, 2026: 13-count indictment; ATF arrests, four in Maryland and one in Raleigh; warrants Oct. 20; about 40 firearms to D.C., New Jersey, Maryland, Virginia, and Saint Georges, Grenada; Agee, Young, Harris, Whitaker, Atkinson and listed counts; Young and Whitaker hold D.C. Special Police Officer licenses; 15-year and 10-year maximums; ATF investigating; Case No. 5:26-CR-218; indictment is an accusation)

    Official sourcePublished by U.S. Attorney's Office, Eastern District of North Carolina · Checked Oct 21, 2026, 4:00 PM

  2. Five arrested in alleged gun trafficking scheme from North Carolina to Washington, D.C. (WWAY, Oct. 21, 2026: same five names and ages; Tuesday warrants; one arrest in Raleigh and four in Maryland; about 40 firearms; Young and Whitaker D.C. special police licenses; 15-year and 10-year maximums)

    Published by WWAY · Checked Oct 21, 2026, 4:00 PM

  3. 18 U.S.C. 933, Trafficking in firearms (background on the conspiracy and trafficking counts named in the release)

    Official sourcePublished by Office of the Law Revision Counsel, U.S. House of Representatives · Checked Oct 21, 2026, 4:00 PM

  4. 18 U.S.C. 922(a)(6) (background on false statements to a licensed firearms dealer)

    Official sourcePublished by Office of the Law Revision Counsel, U.S. House of Representatives · Checked Oct 21, 2026, 4:00 PM

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