Hereford Gun Store Owner Charged with Conspiring with Mexican Cartels

A Hereford man, Laurence Gray, owner of Grips By Larry, has been indicted on charges related to providing material support to Cartel de Jalisco Nueva Generacion (“CJNG”) and Cartel de Sinaloa (“CDS”), Mexican cartels that were designated as foreign terrorist organizations in 2025.

According to the Department of Justice, on March 17, 2026, a federal grand jury in Phoenix returned a superseding indictment against Laurence Gray, a former federal firearms licensee (FFL), for Attempting to Provide Material Support to a Foreign Terrorist Organization and Conspiracy to Provide Support to a Designated Foreign Terrorist Organization.

Gray was previously indicted for firearms trafficking offenses in 2025, alongside a second individual, Barrett Weinberger, 73, of Tucson, Arizona. The original charges against both men included trafficking in firearms, aiding and abetting the straw purchasing of firearms, and aiding and abetting material false statements during the purchase of a firearm. In addition to more firearms charges, last week’s superseding indictment added material support to terrorism charges against Gray.

The indictment alleges that Gray knowingly attempted to provide firearms to CJNG in May of 2025, and knowingly conspired to provide firearms to both CJNG and CDS that same year. Both cartels were designated by the U.S. Secretary of State as foreign terrorist organizations pursuant to Section 219 of the Immigration and Nationality Act on Feb. 20, 2025.

Convictions for Conspiracy to and Attempting to Provide Material Support to a Designated Terrorist Organization each carry a maximum penalty of 20 years in prison, a fine of up to $250,000, or both. A conviction for Trafficking in Firearms carries a maximum penalty of 15 years in prison, a fine of up to $250,000, or both. A conviction for Aiding and Abetting the Straw Purchase of Firearms carries a maximum penalty of 15 years in prison, a fine of up to $250,000, or both. A conviction for Aiding and Abetting a Material False Statement During the Purchase of a Firearm carries a maximum penalty of 10 years in prison, a fine of up to $250,000, or both.