INDIANAPOLIS – Eric Lamar Keys, Jr., 25, of Indianapolis, Indiana, is facing consequences for his role in a deadly gun trafficking scheme. Keys was sentenced this week for making a false statement during a firearms purchase – a purchase that ultimately armed the individual responsible for the brutal killing of a 6-year-old girl in Chicago. The case highlights the grim reality of how easily guns flow across state lines and into the hands of criminals.
The tragedy unfolded on April 18, 2021, when Chicago Police responded to a shooting at a McDonald’s. The scene was chaotic: one man wounded, and a 6-year-old girl, fatally shot. The suspect, apprehended by police, was found with multiple firearms. Ballistics confirmed a Glock .40 caliber pistol – purchased by Keys just 48 days prior – was the murder weapon. This wasn’t a spontaneous act; it was a calculated move in a larger, illegal operation.
ATF investigators quickly traced the gun back to Keys. On February 21, 2021, he’d walked into a federally licensed firearms dealer in Indianapolis and purchased a Taurus 9mm pistol. But Keys didn’t intend to keep the gun for himself. He lied on the required federal form, falsely claiming he was the actual buyer when, in reality, he was a “straw purchaser” – buying the weapon for someone legally prohibited from owning one, all for a $750 profit. This practice fuels crime, putting weapons in the hands of those who shouldn’t have them.
Keys isn’t alone. The U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Southern District of Indiana has been aggressively cracking down on straw purchasing rings. Recent cases include Abdul Hadi, 34, of Toronto, Canada, sentenced to 6.5 years’ imprisonment on a charge of Carrying a Firearm During and in Relation to a Drug Trafficking Crime. Amru Hasani, 34, Indianapolis, received 2.5 years for Aiding and Abetting the Making of a False Statement during the Purchase of a Firearm. Stephen King, 67, Indianapolis, was sentenced to 18 months for Dealing Firearms without a License.
The list goes on: Ryan White, 21, Indianapolis, also received 18 months for Dealing Firearms without a License. Xavier Wilson, 24, Otterbein, IN, got 18 months and 3 years supervised release for Making a False Statement During Purchase of a Firearm. Tashia Overton, 23, Indianapolis, faced 15 months imprisonment and a $250 fine for the same offense. Traven Armstrong, 26, Indianapolis, was sentenced to 1 year and 1 day, along with 3 years supervised release and a $500 fine, for Making a False Statement During Purchase of a Firearm. Finally, DeAngelo Carnell, 25, Indianapolis, was hit with 6 counts of Making a False Statement in Connection with the Acquisition of a Firearm and 1 count of Dealing in Firearms.
This sentencing of Eric Keys, Jr. and the wave of similar cases serve as a stark reminder: those who facilitate the illegal flow of firearms will be held accountable, even if their actions lead to unimaginable tragedy. The ATF, alongside local and federal partners, are committed to disrupting these networks and keeping guns out of the hands of criminals. But the question remains, how many more innocent lives will be lost before the loopholes are closed and the flow of illegal guns is truly stemmed?
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