Clifton Earl Jiles, False Statement During the Purchase of a Firearm, Minnesota 2021

MINNEAPOLIS, MN – Clifton Earl Jiles, 31, of St. Paul, is headed to federal prison after admitting to a brazen scheme to illegally acquire firearms. Jiles was sentenced to 24 months behind bars, followed by three years of supervised release, after pleading guilty to one count of false statement during the purchase of a firearm.

Federal prosecutors detailed how Jiles, on March 20, 2021, walked into a gun shop and purchased a Glock Model 27, 40 caliber, semi-automatic pistol. He swore on the required ATF Form 4473 that he was the true buyer. The problem? He wasn’t. Jiles confessed to repeatedly lying on these forms to obtain at least nine firearms.

The scheme didn’t stop at simply acquiring the guns. Jiles admitted to handing off one of those weapons to someone legally barred from possessing a firearm – a dangerous act that could have had deadly consequences. The identity of that individual remains sealed in court documents.

The Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives (ATF) launched the investigation that ultimately exposed Jiles’s operation. While the ATF didn’t detail what tipped them off, the agency has been increasingly focused on disrupting straw purchasing schemes that funnel weapons into the hands of criminals.

The sentencing was handed down yesterday by Senior Judge Michael J. Davis. Assistant U.S. Attorney David P. Steinkamp prosecuted the case, pushing for the two-year prison term. The U.S. Attorney’s Office for the District of Minnesota, led by Andrew M. Luger, has made firearms trafficking a key priority in recent years.

This case serves as a stark reminder that lying on federal forms to obtain firearms carries serious penalties. Jiles’s actions not only violated the law but also contributed to the flow of illegal weapons, potentially endangering the public. The Grimy Times will continue to track federal firearms prosecutions in the Midwest.

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