A Jamaican national who performs under the stage name “Countree Hype” has pleaded guilty to smuggling dozens of firearms, ammunition and magazines from the United States to Jamaica by hiding them inside office furniture, U.S. federal prosecutors said Wednesday.
Taugea Ubert Dayes, 33, pleaded guilty to one count of smuggling goods from the United States and one count of delivering a firearm to a common carrier without written notice, according to the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Southern District of Florida.
Prosecutors said that on March 7 and 8, 2025, Dayes concealed 30 firearms, 32 magazines and more than 100 rounds of ammunition inside five office chairs. Authorities said the weapons and ammunition were wrapped in tinfoil and foam before being sewn into the cushions of the chairs.
On March 10, 2025, the chairs were shipped from the United States to Jamaica using a freight shipping service, according to court records. Jamaican law enforcement officers later seized the firearms in Kingston eight days later.
“Illegal firearms trafficking fuels violence far beyond our borders,” said Jason A. Reding Quiñones in a statement.
“This defendant concealed dozens of firearms inside furniture and attempted to ship them overseas to evade detection and arm the black market in Jamaica,” he added. “Firearms smuggling is not a paperwork offense. It is a public safety threat that fuels violence, empowers criminal organizations, and destabilizes communities.”
Federal prosecutors said Dayes faces a maximum sentence of 10 years in prison. Sentencing will be determined by a federal district court judge after consideration of U.S. sentencing guidelines and other statutory factors.
The case is being investigated by Homeland Security Investigations Miami with assistance from the HSI Kingston Attaché, the HSI Transnational Criminal Investigative Unit and the Firearms and Narcotics Investigation Division of the Jamaica Constabulary Force.
