Springfield Man Convicted After Deputies Find Explosives During Eviction

ALEXANDRIA, VA — A federal jury has convicted a Springfield man on firearms and explosives charges after Fairfax County sheriff's deputies discovered a sawed-off shotgun and explosive devices while serving an eviction order at his home in 2025, federal prosecutors said.

Amer Taisir Zghailat Qaralleh, 42, a dual U.S.-Jordanian citizen, was found guilty of possessing an unregistered firearm and improper storage of explosive materials following a trial in U.S. District Court in Alexandria, according to the U.S. Attorney's Office for the Eastern District of Virginia.

According to evidence presented at trial, Fairfax County Sheriff's Office deputies served a writ of eviction at Qaralleh's Springfield residence on March 18, 2025. During a protective sweep of the home before movers entered, deputies saw several firearms in plain view and secured four of them, including a sawed-off shotgun.

When deputies asked whether additional weapons were inside the home, prosecutors said Qaralleh directed them to another firearm stored in a backpack in the living room. Deputies instead found the firearm along with four explosive devices, prompting a response from the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives.

Charges Carry Up To 11 Years

Federal investigators determined the shotgun had a barrel length requiring registration under the National Firearms Registration and Transfer Record. Prosecutors said the weapon was not registered as required by federal law.

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Qaralleh is scheduled to be sentenced Oct. 6. He faces up to 10 years in federal prison for possessing an unregistered firearm and up to one year for improper storage of explosive materials, although the final sentence will be determined by a federal judge after considering the U.S. Sentencing Guidelines and other statutory factors.

The Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives' Washington Field Division investigated the case with assistance from the Fairfax County Sheriff's Office. Assistant U.S. Attorneys Nicholas A. Durham and Robert Strange are prosecuting the case, according to the Justice Department.