The owner of a downtown Los Angeles hookah lounge pleaded guilty Wednesday to illegally selling firearms — including several ghost guns — and possession with intent to sell drugs.
Hovik Dagesian, 41, of Burbank, entered his plea to federal counts of engaging in the business of dealing in firearms without a license and possession with intent to distribute at least 50 grams of methamphetamine, according to the U.S. Attorney’s Office.
Dagesian illegally sold 11 firearms, including an AR-15-style short-barreled rifle with no serial number, on four occasions between October 2020 and January 2021.
In total, Dagesian sold $34,250 worth of firearms and methamphetamine to the buyer.
Dagesian does not have a federal firearms license and does not have any firearms registered to him, according to court papers, which further state 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 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 business, according to documents filed in Los Angeles federal court.
U.S. District Judge Mark C. Scarsi scheduled a Jan. 8 sentencing hearing, at which time Dagesian will face a sentence between 10 years and life in federal prison, prosecutors said.