BECKLEY, W.Va. — A District of Columbia man has admitted to orchestrating a scheme to circumvent federal firearm regulations, according to United States Attorney Carol Casto.
Nicholas Loukas, 31, entered his guilty plea today for conspiracy to make false statements on records kept by licensed firearms dealers. The charges stem from an operation where Loukas directed others to purchase firearms in his name, avoiding the required record-keeping.
In September 2015, Loukas confessed that he directed the acquisition of four handguns, with one purchase made at Shooter’s Roost in Beckley and another at J & S Pawn. He also admitted unlawful possession of an additional handgun and a shotgun, all recovered during the investigation.
Loukas was barred from owning firearms due to a 2002 robbery conviction in Maryland. He now faces up to five years in federal prison when he is sentenced on June 7, 2017.
The Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives (ATF) conducted the investigation, with Assistant United States Attorney John File handling the prosecution. The case was heard before United States District Judge Irene C. Berger.
Project Safe Neighborhoods, a nationwide initiative targeting gun crime, is handling the prosecution of this case. Follow us on Twitter: @SDWVNews
Key Facts
- State: West Virginia
- Agency: DOJ USAO
- Category: Violent Crime|Weapons
- Source: Official Source ↗
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