LOS ANGELES (CNS) - The owner of a downtown Los Angeles hookah lounge who is accused of illegally selling firearms -- including several “ghost guns'' -- out of his business is due to appear today before a federal judge.
Hovik Dagesian, 39, of Burbank, is expected to plead not guilty to federal counts of engaging in the business of dealing in firearms without a license, possession of an unregistered firearm, possession with intent to distribute methamphetamine, possession of firearms in furtherance of a drug trafficking crime, and possession of firearms not identified by serial number, according to the U.S. Attorney's Office.
An affidavit filed with the complaint alleges that Dagesian illegally sold 10 firearms, including an AR-15-style short-barreled rifle with no serial number, on four occasions between Oct. 30 and Jan. 8.
Dagesian does not have a federal firearms license and does not have any firearms registered to him, according to the affidavit, which further alleges that he sold other AR-15-style ghost guns -- firearms that are made from component parts and do not have serial numbers -- as well as a semiautomatic shotgun, a Tec-DC9 pistol and a vintage “Tommy'' gun.
Each of the illegal firearms sales allegedly occurred at Dagesian's place of business, DTLA Hookah Lounge. During the execution of a search warrant, law enforcement personnel seized more than a dozen firearms from his downtown business, according to documents filed in Los Angeles federal court.
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