Alexandria Flick, Straw Purchasing, Indiana 2023

INDIANAPOLIS, IN – A tangled web of deceit and illegal gun trafficking culminated this week with the sentencing of three individuals involved in a scheme to arm a convicted felon with a cache of firearms. Alexandria Flick, 23, of Bloomington, Indiana, received 3 years of federal supervised probation after pleading guilty to making false statements related to the purchase of sixteen guns. She’s the final piece of this criminal puzzle to be sentenced, following the convictions of Ariel Campbell and Antoine Sutton.

The conspiracy, spanning from October 2020 to February 2021, saw Flick and Campbell repeatedly enter American Arms, a federally licensed firearms dealer in Bloomington, alongside—and in direct communication with—Antoine Sutton. Surveillance footage paints a clear picture: the trio browsing firearms, Sutton attempting to contribute funds, and a deliberate plan to circumvent federal law. Sutton, already barred from possessing firearms due to prior convictions for dealing cocaine, armed robbery, and unlawful possession of a weapon by a felon, was the ultimate beneficiary of their actions.

Campbell, sentenced to 10 months in federal prison in December 2022, and Flick, knowingly lied on ATF forms, falsely claiming to be the actual buyers of the 17 firearms. Text messages recovered from Campbell’s phone expose the brazen nature of the operation. She casually discussed ammunition types with Sutton and even accepted screenshots of desired guns, promptly locating them within the store. A particularly damning exchange reveals Campbell’s willingness: “I’ll grab guns for you whenever, I really don’t care.” Sutton then peddled these illegally obtained weapons via Snapchat, adding fuel to the fire of street crime.

The scheme wasn’t limited to simply acquiring the guns. On February 25, 2021, Flick drove Sutton to a location where he sold a rifle—equipped with a high-capacity magazine and loaded with 26 rounds—for $700. The ripple effects of this operation extended beyond Indiana, with multiple firearms purchased for Sutton surfacing during criminal investigations in Chicago. This isn’t just a local issue; it’s a clear case of gun trafficking with interstate consequences.

Antoine Sutton received the harshest sentence, 74 months in federal prison, after pleading guilty to possession of a firearm by a convicted felon. U.S. Attorney for the Southern District of Indiana, Zachary A. Myers, minced no words. “People who illegally buy guns for criminals share responsibility for the violence afflicting our communities,” he stated. “These illegal ‘straw purchases’ are a form of gun trafficking that fuels gun violence everywhere.”

Daryl S. McCormick, Special Agent in Charge of the ATF’s Columbus Field Division, and Michael Diekhoff, Chief of Bloomington Police Department, joined Myers in announcing the convictions. The collaborative effort underscores the increasing focus on dismantling these gun trafficking networks and holding accountable not only the individuals who pull the trigger, but also those who supply the weapons. This case serves as a stark reminder that supplying criminals with firearms carries significant legal consequences and contributes directly to the violence plaguing our streets.

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