Keaton Gets 2 Years for Gun Straw Purchase Scheme

HUNTINGTON, W.Va. – Maximillian Keaton, 51, of Huntington, is headed to federal prison after being sentenced today to two years for his role in a brazen scheme to illegally acquire firearms. The sentence, handed down by United States District Judge Robert C. Chambers, will be followed by three years of supervised release. Keaton isn’t a shooter, but a facilitator – a man who used another to bypass the law and arm himself despite a criminal record that explicitly prohibits it.

Court documents paint a clear picture of Keaton’s calculated deceit. On February 22, 2023, Keaton enlisted Daniel Lee Ferguson, 46, also of Huntington, to purchase a Springfield Armory Hellcat 9mm pistol from a Barboursville business. Keaton didn’t just ask; he directed. He showed Ferguson the exact weapon he wanted and provided the cash. Knowing his own felony conviction barred him from ownership, Keaton exploited a loophole and a willing accomplice.

The scheme didn’t stop there. Keaton admitted to directing Ferguson to purchase two additional firearms: a Bersa Thunder 380 .380-caliber pistol on August 14, 2019, and another Springfield Armory model Prodigy 9mm on February 25, 2023, both at Cabell County businesses. In each instance, Ferguson knowingly lied on the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives (ATF) Form 4473, falsely certifying he was the true buyer. This wasn’t a misunderstanding; it was a deliberate act of fraud.

Ferguson, facing the music for his involvement, pleaded guilty on October 23, 2023, to making false statements in acquisition of firearms and now awaits his own sentencing. He served as the hands, Keaton as the brain, and both now face the consequences. This case highlights a dangerous trend: individuals attempting to circumvent gun laws by using others to illegally obtain weapons.

United States Attorney Will Thompson announced the sentence, praising the collaborative effort of the ATF and the Huntington Police Department. This prosecution falls under the criminal provisions of the Bipartisan Safer Communities Act (BSCA), signed into law in June 2022 – the first federal statute specifically aimed at cracking down on illegal firearms trafficking and straw purchases. The BSCA is being put to work, and criminals like Keaton are feeling the heat.

Assistant United States Attorneys Joseph F. Adams and Stephanie Taylor spearheaded the prosecution. For those seeking further details, a press release is available on the U.S. Attorney’s Office website for the Southern District of West Virginia, and related court documents can be found on PACER under Case No. 3:23-cr-151. This case serves as a stark reminder that those who attempt to skirt the law to obtain firearms will be held accountable.

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