ST. PAUL, MN – Jerome Fletcher Horton, 26, of Minneapolis, is headed to federal prison for 25 months after admitting to a massive straw purchasing scheme that funneled firearms onto the streets of the Twin Cities. One of those guns was used in the October 2021 shooting at the Seventh Street Truck Park Bar, a popular West Seventh hangout. Horton’s sentence, handed down by Senior Judge Donovan W. Frank, also includes three years of supervised release.
The bust began with the aftermath of the bar shooting. St. Paul Police Department investigators quickly zeroed in on a suspect seen fleeing the scene with a handgun. Surveillance footage showed the individual entering a vehicle with the weapon, and a subsequent search of that vehicle turned up a Mossberg model MC2C 9mm semiautomatic pistol. Ballistics matched the gun to the numerous 9mm casings found *inside* the bar.
But the pistol wasn’t going to the intended shooter directly. A trace revealed Horton purchased the weapon on July 31, 2021, from a licensed dealer in Blaine. Horton lied on the required ATF Form 4473, claiming he was the *actual* buyer. It wasn’t an isolated incident. Investigators digging through sales records discovered Horton had bought a staggering 33 firearms between June 15, 2021, and October 17, 2021. That’s nearly one gun every other day.
The scheme fell apart when federal agents executed a search warrant at Horton’s Minneapolis residence on October 19, 2021. Despite purchasing over three dozen firearms in a four-month span, not a single one was found. The evidence pointed to a clear pattern: Horton was buying guns for others, likely individuals prohibited from owning them legally. He was effectively running a black market pipeline, and the Seventh Street shooting was a chilling example of the consequences.
On March 3, 2022, Horton pleaded guilty to one count of false statements in the purchase of firearms. Assistant U.S. Attorney Thomas Calhoun-Lopez prosecuted the case, built on the combined efforts of the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives (ATF) and the St. Paul Police Department. The ATF’s St. Paul Field Division led the investigation.
The case highlights the persistent problem of straw purchasing and the ease with which firearms can fall into the hands of criminals. While 25 months is a significant sentence, it remains to be seen if it will deter others from engaging in similar illegal activity. The Grimy Times will continue to follow this case and report on efforts to curb gun violence in the region.
Related Federal Cases
- Ashley Dyrdahl, Straw Purchasing, Burnsville MN, 2024 · Illinois
- Clifton Jiles, Straw Purchasing, St. Paul MN, 2023 · Minnesota
- River William Smith Charged with Machine Gun Possession and Hand Grenade Attempt, Minneapolis MN, 2022 · California
- Ramone Trayvil Johnson, Illegal Firearm, Minneapolis MN, 2024 · Illinois
- Donald Armstrong, Straw Purchase Conspiracy, Minnesota 2024 · Illinois
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