Emporia Man Pleads Guilty to Straw Purchasing 3 Firearms

A 23-year-old Emporia man admitted in federal court today to buying three firearms under false pretenses, handing them over to a prohibited individual for cash. Corey O’Neal Phipps, Jr. pleaded guilty to making false statements during the purchase of the weapons, a felony under federal law.

Court documents reveal Phipps bought the firearms from a federally licensed dealer in the Eastern District of Virginia. Though he certified he was the actual buyer—a requirement on all ATF forms—he immediately transferred the guns to another person and collected payment. That transaction, investigators say, was never reported and violated federal straw purchasing statutes.

The charge stems from a broader crackdown under Project Guardian, the Department of Justice’s national initiative launched in 2019 to combat gun violence and enforce federal firearms laws. The program targets illegal trafficking pipelines and strengthens coordination between federal, state, and local law enforcement.

Phipps, Jr. faces up to five years in prison when sentenced on December 2. While federal sentences often fall below the maximum, U.S. District Judge Rossie D. Alston, Jr., who accepted the plea, will weigh the U.S. Sentencing Guidelines and other statutory factors before imposing a sentence.

The case was announced by G. Zachary Terwilliger, U.S. Attorney for the Eastern District of Virginia, and Ashan M. Benedict, ATF Special Agent in Charge for the Washington Field Division. Prosecution was handled by Special Assistant U.S. Attorney Rachael C. Tucker and Assistant U.S. Attorney Patricia T. Giles.

Related court filings are available through the District Court for the Eastern District of Virginia or via PACER under Case No. 1:20-cr-108. The U.S. Attorney’s Office maintains a copy of the original press release on its public website.