Jalen Jabrielle Sweet, Lying on Firearms Forms, Virginia 2024

WOODBRIDGE, VA – In a shocking case of deception, Jalen Jabrielle Sweet, 24, of College Park, Maryland, pleaded guilty to making false statements to federal firearms licensees while purchasing firearms in Virginia.

According to court documents, between August 30, 2021, and November 10, 2022, Sweet resided in College Park, Maryland. During that time, he purchased 20 firearms from federal firearms licensees in Virginia. For each of these firearm purchases, Sweet completed an ATF Form 4473, as required by federal law.

However, in a brazen move, Sweet listed his current address as an apartment in Woodbridge, Virginia, on each of the 15 ATF Form 4473s he completed. The Woodbridge address Sweet used on the forms was his father’s address, where he only stayed periodically.

One of the firearms Sweet purchased using the false address was a Glock 43x pistol, purchased from Trojan Arms & Tactical Inc. at the Dulles Expo in Chantilly, Virginia, on January 2, 2022. The firearm was later recovered by law enforcement in Prince George’s County, Maryland, in the possession of another individual on February 9, 2023.

Sweet is scheduled to be sentenced on October 9 and faces a maximum penalty of five years in prison. However, actual sentences for federal crimes are typically less than the maximum penalties. A federal district court judge will determine any sentence after considering the U.S. Sentencing Guidelines and other statutory factors.

Jessica D. Aber, U.S. Attorney for the Eastern District of Virginia, and Craig Kailimai, Special Agent in Charge of the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives Washington Field Division, made the announcement after Senior U.S. District Judge Anthony J. Trenga accepted the plea.

Assistant U.S. Attorney Ronald L. Walutes Jr. is prosecuting the case.

A copy of this press release is located on the website of the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Eastern District of Virginia. Related court documents and information are located on the website of the District Court for the Eastern District of Virginia or on PACER by searching for Case No. 1:24-cr-36.

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