Davenport Man Cops to Gun Lie Scheme

DAVENPORT, IA — Algerron Lee Goldsmith, 26, of Davenport, Iowa, is headed to federal prison after admitting to lying on federal forms to buy firearms. On November 14, 2016, Goldsmith was sentenced to 18 months in prison by U.S. District Judge Stephanie M. Rose on three counts of making false statements during the purchase of firearms. The sentences will run concurrently. Goldsmith must also serve three years of supervised release, pay $300 to the Crime Victims’ Fund, and reimburse the State of Iowa $1,998 in restitution.

Goldsmith pleaded guilty on June 29, 2016, to three counts of falsifying information on ATF Form 4473 — the legally required document used in every licensed gun transaction. According to court records, he purchased three HI Point pistols: a .380 caliber on February 21, 2015; a 9 mm on May 2, 2015; and a .45 caliber on June 19, 2015. At each purchase, Goldsmith listed a false address, a move investigators say was deliberate to mislead authorities and skirt background check protocols.

The deception didn’t stop at gun stores. During a follow-up search at Goldsmith’s residence, law enforcement discovered a fraudulent Social Security document tied to a rent rebate scam. The document was used to unlawfully obtain $1,998 in state rebates during 2014 and 2015. Goldsmith has agreed to repay every dollar taken through the fraud, acknowledging his role in submitting false paperwork to collect public funds under false pretenses.

The case was jointly investigated by the Davenport Police Department and the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives. Agents zeroed in on the pattern of false addresses after flagging discrepancies in purchase records. The discovery of the fake Social Security card expanded the scope of the probe, revealing a broader pattern of deception that crossed from firearms trafficking into financial fraud.

Prosecution was handled by the United States Attorney’s Office for the Southern District of Iowa, which pushed the case as part of the DOJ’s nationwide Project Safe Neighborhoods initiative. The program targets illegal gun possession and trafficking by leveraging federal charges to secure longer sentences and disrupt criminal networks. Goldsmith’s case underscores how lying on a form isn’t a paperwork glitch — it’s a felony with prison time.

Goldsmith’s 18-month sentence reflects the federal government’s hard line on firearms fraud, especially when tied to additional criminal behavior. With three years of supervision and financial penalties hanging over him post-release, his criminal misstep will echo long after prison bars. In Davenport, where gun violence remains a persistent threat, authorities hope cases like this send a message: lie to buy a gun, and the feds will come knocking — with cuffs.

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