INDIANAPOLIS – Two Indianapolis residents have been sentenced to over five years in federal prison for their roles in a straw gun purchase scheme that trafficked dozens of firearms from Indiana to Chicago.
Miesha Webster, 27, of Indianapolis, was sentenced to 18 months in federal prison followed by two years of supervised release after pleading guilty to conspiracy to transfer firearms to an out-of-state resident and making a false statement in connection with the purchase of a firearm.
James Osborne III, 34, of Indianapolis, was sentenced to 45 months in federal prison followed by three years of supervised release after pleading guilty to conspiracy to transfer firearms to an out-of-state resident.
According to court documents, between June 2021 and September 17, 2021, Webster and Osborne “straw purchased” at least 37 firearms from federally licensed firearms dealers in Indiana. Straw purchasing occurs when a person who is allowed to legally purchase a gun from a federally licensed dealer falsely states that they are purchasing a firearm for themselves, when they know that the gun is actually intended for someone else – frequently someone who is legally prohibited from making the purchase themselves.
As part of the straw purchasing scheme, Osborne drove Webster to firearms dealers, and Webster would purchase certain makes and models of firearms, falsely claiming the firearms were being purchased for herself, when they were in fact being purchased on behalf of Osborne to sell. Osborne told Webster what guns to buy and gave her the money to make the purchases. Osborne was prohibited from purchasing firearms himself.
Webster and Osborne sold the straw-purchased firearms to an individual from Chicago, Illinois. The buyer met Webster and Osborne in Indiana to purchase the guns, then took them back to Chicago. 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.
“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,” said Zachary A. Myers, U.S. Attorney for the Southern District of Indiana. “The federal prison sentences imposed here demonstrate that straw purchase schemes are serious crimes that carry serious consequences. I commend the ATF and our federal prosecutor for their efforts to reduce gun violence and hold gun traffickers accountable.”
The Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives investigated this case. The sentences were imposed by U.S. District Court Judge Jane Magnus-Stinson. U.S. Attorney Myers thanked Assistant United States Attorney MaryAnn Brogan for her work on the case.
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Key Facts
- State: Indiana
- Agency: DOJ USAO
- Category: Weapons
- Source: Official Source ↗
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