9-13-2023 3:13pm

A Burbank Man Pleads Guilty to Illegally Marketing Firearms and Methamphetamine Out of His DTLA Hookah Lounge Business

Anita Johnson-Brown Editor

September 13, 2023, By Anita johnson-Brown

A resident of Burbank, Hovik Dagesian, has pleaded guilty to federal criminal charges related to his illegal firearms business. Mr. Dagesian operated this illicit operation out of a hookah lounge he owned in downtown Los Angeles.

During the period between October 2020 and January 2021, he engaged in the unauthorized sale of 11 firearms, including "ghost guns," which do not bear serial numbers. The firearms included a 12-gauge shotgun, an AR-15-type rifle without a serial number, and a 9mm handgun. Additionally, Mr. Dagesian admitted to selling methamphetamine to a buyer on October 30, 2020. These illegal activities took place within his establishment.

Dagesian, an unlicensed firearms dealer and drug distributor, made a profit of $34,250 from selling firearms and methamphetamine to a buyer. In January 2021, law enforcement conducted a search at Dagesian's business and discovered 163.3 grams (5.8 ounces) of methamphetamine, a digital scale, approximately 215 rounds of ammunition, and various firearms for sale, including a sawed-off shotgun.

Dagesian has never held a license as a dealer, manufacturer, or importer of firearms. United States District Judge Mark C. Scarsi has scheduled a sentencing hearing for January 8, 2024. Dagesian could face a mandatory minimum sentence of 10 years in federal prison and up to life imprisonment for drug distribution. Additionally, the illegal firearms dealing charge carries a maximum penalty of five years in federal prison.

The investigation into this matter was conducted by the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives (ATF) and the Los Angeles Police Department (LAPD).