ALEXANDRIA, VA – Chase O’Neil Pulliam, 25, of Maryland, is headed to federal prison for 25 months after being convicted of trafficking firearms, many with deliberately erased serial numbers, according to a Department of Justice announcement. The scheme funneled weapons across state lines and into the hands of convicted felons, fueling violence in Maryland and Washington, D.C.
Between September 2020 and October 2021, Pulliam systematically purchased at least 49 firearms from licensed dealers across the Eastern District of Virginia. He wasn’t buying these guns for sport. Court documents reveal Pulliam then transported them to Maryland and the nation’s capital, where he resold them – no questions asked – to individuals legally barred from owning them. At least two of his customers were already convicted felons.
To further conceal the illegal operation, Pulliam enlisted an accomplice who systematically obliterated the serial numbers from roughly 35 of the firearms. Removing serial numbers is a key tactic used by criminals to make guns untraceable, effectively allowing them to disappear into the black market. This makes tracking the weapon’s history – and holding those responsible for its misuse – nearly impossible.
The fallout from Pulliam’s trafficking scheme is chilling. Authorities have linked at least eight of the firearms he sold to crime scenes in Maryland and D.C. One weapon surfaced during a domestic violence incident in Prince George’s County, Maryland. Another turned up during a joint federal-local narcotics investigation in Washington, D.C., demonstrating the direct link between illegal gun trafficking and other serious crimes.
U.S. Attorney Jessica D. Aber, leading the case for the Eastern District of Virginia, emphasized that this prosecution is part of “Project Safe Neighborhoods,” a federal initiative aimed at reducing violent crime through targeted enforcement and community partnerships. Acting Special Agent in Charge Mike Weddel of the ATF’s Washington Field Division oversaw the investigation.
Assistant U.S. Attorneys Nicholas J. Patterson and Colin W. Trundle secured the conviction and sentencing, handed down by Senior U.S. District Judge T. S. Ellis, III. Case No. 1:22-cr-211 remains open for further investigation, and related court documents are available on PACER and the U.S. Attorney’s Office website. The Grimy Times will continue to follow this case and report on the flow of illegal firearms into our communities.
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