Popular music producer “Countree Hype” pleads guilty to smuggling 30 guns to Jamaica

A Jamaican music producer has admitted in a United States court to illegally smuggling dozens of firearms and ammunition into Jamaica by hiding them inside furniture shipments, authorities confirmed.

Taugea Ubert Dayes, 33, also known as ‘Countree Hype,’ pleaded guilty to one count of smuggling goods out of the United States and one count of delivering a firearm to a shipping carrier without providing written notice.

He now faces a potential sentence of up to 10 years in federal prison, with his punishment to be decided by a federal judge at a later date.

According to court filings from the US Attorney’s Office for the Southern District of Florida, Dayes carried out the scheme in March 2025 by concealing 30 firearms, 32 magazines, and more than 100 rounds of ammunition inside five office chairs before shipping them to Jamaica.

Investigators revealed that the weapons were carefully wrapped in tinfoil and foam, then stitched into the cushions of the chairs to avoid detection.

The shipment, sent through a freight service on March 10, 2025, was intercepted by Jamaican authorities in Kingston eight days later.

US Attorney Jason A. Reding Quiñones said the case highlights the role illegal gun trafficking plays in fueling crime.

He stated that the accused attempted to secretly transport a large cache of weapons overseas in an effort to supply Jamaica’s illicit gun trade.

The investigation was carried out by Homeland Security Investigations in collaboration with the Jamaica Constabulary Force Firearms and Narcotics Investigation Division and other international partners.