A pair of Indianapolis residents are headed to federal prison for their roles in a gun trafficking scheme that saw dozens of firearms smuggled from Indiana to Chicago.
Miesha Webster, 27, of Indianapolis, and James Osborne III, 34, of Indianapolis, were sentenced in federal court in connection with their involvement in the straw purchasing and trafficking of at least 37 firearms from federally licensed dealers in Indiana between June 2021 and September 17, 2021.
According to court documents, Webster and Osborne would ‘straw purchase’ firearms from dealers, with Webster falsely claiming the guns were being purchased for herself. In reality, the guns were intended for resale to an individual from Chicago, who would meet them in Indiana and take the guns back to the Windy City.
Under federal law, it is a crime to willfully transfer or sell firearms to another person in another state if neither individual is a federally licensed firearms dealer. ATF agents arrested Webster and Osborne on September 13, 2021, after observing them making a straw purchase at a federally licensed firearms dealer in Brownsburg, Indiana.
In total, Webster purchased at least 51 firearms, with 24 recovered by law enforcement agencies, including 17 in Chicago or surrounding cities in Illinois. Webster was sentenced to 18 months in federal prison followed by two years of supervised release, while Osborne received a 45-month prison sentence with three years of supervised release.
U.S. Attorney Zachary A. Myers praised the ATF and federal prosecutors for their efforts to reduce gun violence and hold gun traffickers accountable. ‘Illegal gun sales fuel violence in Indiana, Chicago, and across the country, by putting deadly weapons in the hands of people with no lawful business having them,’ Myers said.
The Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives investigated the case, with U.S. District Court Judge Jane Magnus-Stinson imposing the sentences.
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Key Facts
- State: Indiana
- Agency: DOJ USAO
- Category: Violent Crime|Weapons
- Source: Official Source ↗
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