22-year-old Nigerian track and field athlete, Godson Oghenebrume, who resides in Baton Rouge, Louisiana, has pleaded guilty to possession of a firearm by an alien admitted under a non-immigrant visa.
The plea was entered before U.S. Chief Judge Shelly D. Dick, according to a statement released on December 3, 2025, by U.S. Attorney Kurt L. Wall of the Department of Justice.
The DOJ revealed that Oghenebrume faces up to 15 years in prison, a $250,000 fine, three years of supervised release, and potential deportation after completing his sentence.
The charge stems from an incident on February 7, 2025, when Oghenebrume discharged a firearm during an argument with his ex-girlfriend — the mother of his infant child — while the baby was present. The confrontation escalated both outside and inside his apartment, where another woman was also present.
According to investigators, Oghenebrume fired multiple shots, damaging the walls of the apartment complex. He also smashed his ex-girlfriend’s phone and took the baby before another woman intervened to retrieve the child.
When deputies arrived, he allegedly walked away, ignored police commands, and tossed a Glock 43X 9mm pistol into nearby shrubs before being detained. During questioning, he claimed he fired the shots only to “scare” his ex-girlfriend away.
The case was investigated by the Department of Homeland Security, Homeland Security Investigations, the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms, and Explosives, and the East Baton Rouge Sheriff’s Office. Prosecutors say the matter falls under Operation Take Back America, a federal initiative targeting violent crime, illegal immigration, and transnational criminal networks.
Oghenebrume, who is the brother of Olympic bronze medalist Ese Brume, was admitted into Louisiana State Universityin 2021.