Two men sentenced for trafficking firearms, machine gun conversion devices in New Jersey
TRENTON, N.J. — Two Virginia men have been sentenced to federal prison for trafficking firearms and machine gun conversion devices, according to U.S. Attorney Robert Frazer.
Lawrence Higgs, 37, of Portsmouth, Virginia, was sentenced Sept. 16 to 150 months in prison followed by three years of supervised release. Tariq Haywood-Echols, 32, also of Portsmouth, was sentenced Tuesday to 121 months in prison followed by three years of supervised release.
Higgs previously pleaded guilty before U.S. District Judge Robert Kirsch to conspiracy to traffic firearms, engaging in unlicensed firearms dealing, unlawful possession of machine guns and unlawful possession of a firearm by a felon.
Haywood-Echols previously pleaded guilty before Kirsch to conspiracy to traffic firearms, engaging in unlicensed firearms dealing and unlawful possession of machine guns.
According to court documents and statements made in court, the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives, along with state and local law enforcement agencies, began investigating Higgs and Haywood-Echols in July 2024. Both men had previously been convicted of felony offenses.
During the investigation, authorities conducted multiple controlled purchases of firearms from the two men, recovering more than a dozen firearms, more than a dozen machine gun conversion devices and substantial quantities of ammunition.
Machine gun conversion devices are classified as machine guns under federal law and can convert semiautomatic firearms into fully automatic weapons capable of firing multiple rounds with a single pull of the trigger, according to federal prosecutors.
Prosecutors said Higgs and Haywood-Echols sold the firearms to an individual while knowing the person was a convicted felon and intended to resell the weapons.
Authorities arrested the two men Sept. 10, 2025, as they were attempting to conduct another firearms sale. Higgs fled after officers announced their presence and was apprehended about a block away with ammunition in his pocket, prosecutors said.
The investigation was conducted by the ATF Newark Field Division, Somerset County Prosecutor’s Office and New Jersey State Police.
