Melvin Plowden, Aiding and Abetting Straw Purchase of Firearms, Virginia 2023

A shocking crime has shaken the streets of Virginia as Melvin Plowden, a 34-year-old man from Temple Hills, Maryland, pleaded guilty to aiding and abetting the straw purchase of 33 guns from Virginia firearms dealers.

Between October 2019 and June 2020, Plowden, a convicted felon, arranged for a co-conspirator to purchase firearms on his behalf, which he then resold. Plowden instructed the co-conspirator on which firearms to purchase and gave him money to pay for the firearms.

The co-conspirator purchased 33 firearms from federal firearms dealers in Virginia, all on Plowden’s behalf. Of the firearms straw-purchased by the co-conspirator, 17 have been recovered in connection with criminal activity or from individuals prohibited from possessing the firearms, including Plowden.

In June 2020, Plowden was arrested following an incident in Oxon Hill, Maryland, and one of the straw-purchased firearms was found in his possession.

Plowden is scheduled to be sentenced on May 21 and faces a maximum penalty of 10 years in prison. A federal district court judge will determine any sentence after considering the U.S. Sentencing Guidelines and other statutory factors.

The case is part of Project Safe Neighborhoods (PSN), a program that brings together all levels of law enforcement and the communities they serve to reduce violent crime and gun violence. On May 26, 2021, the Department of Justice launched a violent crime reduction strategy strengthening PSN based on these core principles: fostering trust and legitimacy in our communities, supporting community-based organizations that help prevent violence from occurring in the first place, setting focused and strategic enforcement priorities, and measuring the results.

Assistant U.S. Attorney Cristina C. Stam and Megan Braun are prosecuting the case. This marks a significant victory in the fight against gun violence and we will continue to work tirelessly to keep our communities safe.

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