Hazleton Man Caged for 63 Months in Gun Fraud Scheme

Hazleton’s Theodore O. Wing, 52, is going down for 63 months in federal prison after helping orchestrate a firearms straw purchase scheme that funneled multiple weapons — including a Micro Draco capable of accepting high-capacity magazines — into criminal circulation. Sentenced April 24, 2019, by U.S. District Judge James M. Munley, Wing’s fall from grace caps a years-long investigation into how he used his own daughter to skirt federal gun laws.

Wing didn’t pull the trigger himself — but he pulled the strings. His daughter, Jasmine Wing, bought five firearms from Bob’s Sporting Goods in Hazleton and Dave’s Gun Shop in Drums between September 2014 and March 2015, falsely claiming she was the actual buyer. In reality, Theodore Wing selected the guns, paid for them, and took possession. The arsenal included a Glock 19 9mm, a Glock 23 .40 caliber, a Taurus PT745Pro .45acp, an Extar EXP556 5.56, and a CAI/Romarm Micro Draco 7.62×39 — a menacing semiautomatic rifle favored in urban violence.

Two of those guns were later recovered by law enforcement. One had been used in a shooting just weeks after purchase, staining the streets of Hazleton with blood. Judge Munley didn’t mince words at sentencing: Wing’s criminal history is long, his manipulation of family was vile, and his attempts to pressure his daughter to lie to federal agents showed a total disregard for justice.

Federal prosecutors, led by U.S. Attorney David J. Freed and Assistant U.S. Attorney Phillip J. Caraballo, painted a clear picture of a man exploiting loopholes to arm others. Wing’s role as a facilitator didn’t shield him from accountability — under federal law, aiding and abetting false statements during a firearms transaction carries steep penalties, especially when weapons end up at crime scenes.

Jasmine Wing, also charged in the scheme, pleaded guilty in August 2017 to making false statements in the purchase of six firearms — five overlapping with her father’s case. She awaits sentencing, still under federal scrutiny. The Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives led the probe, tracing shell casings, receipts, and testimony to piece together the conspiracy.

This case is part of Project Safe Neighborhoods (PSN), the DOJ’s aggressive push to dismantle violent crime networks through federal prosecution. Wing, already locked up on an unrelated state narcotics trafficking conviction, will serve his 63-month federal sentence concurrently. But make no mistake — the feds sent a message: use your family to arm criminals, and you’ll rot longer behind bars.