Keaton Gets Two Years for Straw Purchase of Springfield Pistol

HUNTINGTON, W.Va. – Maximillian Keaton, 51, has been sentenced to two years in prison for aiding and abetting the straw purchase of a firearm, a gritty case that revealed the lengths some will go to circumvent gun laws.

On February 22, 2023, court documents show Keaton traveled with Daniel Lee Ferguson, 46, to Barboursville’s Springfield Armory model Hellcat 9mm pistol. Keaton was prohibited from purchasing or possessing firearms due to a prior felony conviction, yet he managed to circumvent the law by having Ferguson act as the straw buyer.

According to the court, Keaton directed Ferguson on what firearm to purchase and provided the money for the transaction. Ferguson, who falsely certified he was the buyer on ATF Form 4473, also bought two other firearms for Keaton in Cabell County.

Ferguson pleaded guilty on October 23, 2023, to making false statements in acquisition of firearms and awaits sentencing. The case underscores the illegal activities related to straw purchasing and the consequences faced by those involved.

United States Attorney Will Thompson announced the sentence, commending the efforts of the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives (ATF) and the Huntington Police Department for their investigative work. Assistant United States Attorneys Joseph F. Adams and Stephanie Taylor prosecuted the case, which was brought under the Bipartisan Safer Communities Act (BSCA), a federal statute targeting unlawful trafficking and straw-purchasing of firearms.

United States District Judge Robert C. Chambers imposed the sentence, with Keaton also facing three years of supervised release upon his prison term. For more information, visit the website of the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Southern District of West Virginia or search PACER for Case No. 3:23-cr-151.

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