Cory Jean Gainey, Firearm Straw Purchase, W.Va. 2015

CLARKSBURG, W.Va. — A 24-year-old Preston County man is facing federal charges for lying to buy a firearm he never intended to keep. Cory Jean Gainey of Reedsville was indicted by a federal grand jury in Martinsburg on charges tied to a 2015 straw purchase, according to U.S. Attorney William J. Ihlenfeld, II.

Gainey allegedly walked into a licensed firearms dealer in October 2015 and signed paperwork declaring he was the true buyer of the weapon. That statement was false. Authorities say Gainey was acting as a proxy, acquiring the firearm for another individual who could not legally purchase one.

The indictment returned against Gainey includes two serious federal counts: ‘Conspiracy to Provide a False Statement During the Purchase of a Firearm’ and ‘False Statement During the Purchase of a Firearm.’ Each charge carries a maximum penalty of ten years in prison and a fine of up to $250,000.

Under the Federal Sentencing Guidelines, the actual sentence Gainey could receive depends on the severity of the conduct and his criminal history, if any. At this stage, prosecutors have not disclosed whether Gainey has prior convictions.

The case is being handled by Assistant U.S. Attorney Traci M. Cook. The investigation was a joint effort involving the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms, and Explosives (ATF), the Monongalia County Sheriff’s Department, and the Morgantown Police Department — a sign of the growing interagency focus on illegal gun trafficking in rural West Virginia.

An indictment is not a conviction. Cory Jean Gainey is presumed innocent unless and until proven guilty in a court of law. The U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Northern District of West Virginia confirmed the case is active and pending.

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