Erica Nicole Blake, 36, of Parkersburg, West Virginia, pleaded guilty to aggravated identity theft after using someone else’s identity to illegally obtain a firearm, federal prosecutors announced. The guilty plea, entered before Senior U.S. District Judge John T. Copenhaver, Jr., marks the latest fallout from a brazen attempt to bypass federal gun laws.
On November 10, 2017, Blake walked into a licensed firearms dealer in Parkersburg and used a West Virginia driver’s license belonging to another person to pass as that individual during the purchase of a KAHR Arms .45 caliber semiautomatic pistol. Prosecutors say she knew full well she was barred from buying or possessing guns due to a 2012 felony conviction for forgery and uttering — so she resorted to fraud.
Blake’s scheme unraveled just three weeks later. On December 6, 2017, Parkersburg police stopped a vehicle on Wood Street. Blake was behind the wheel; Mark Matthew Smith, a passenger, was wearing a concealed carry holster. Officers found the purchased pistol on the floorboard near Smith. Smith, also a convicted felon with records for forgery, uttering, and grand larceny, has been charged with being a felon in possession of a firearm and is set for trial on June 25, 2019.
“Blake knows she is prohibited from purchasing or possessing a gun due to her previous felony conviction,” said United States Attorney Mike Stuart. “So she tried to pass off as someone else. We prosecute those who lie to buy firearms.” Stuart credited the Parkersburg Police Department and the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives (ATF) for their investigative work in unraveling the case.
Under federal law, aggravated identity theft carries a mandatory minimum sentence of two years in prison. Blake, who faces that exact penalty, is scheduled for sentencing on August 14, 2019. Assistant U.S. Attorney Joshua C. Hanks is leading the prosecution.
The case falls under Project Safe Neighborhoods (PSN), the Department of Justice’s nationwide initiative to combat violent crime. PSN focuses enforcement on the most dangerous offenders while pairing federal, state, and local efforts with community-based prevention programs. This case underscores the program’s reach — tracing not just the illegal gun, but the web of deceit used to acquire it.
RELATED: David J. Kerns, Katie M. Kerns Sentenced in Heroin Trafficking Bust
Related Federal Cases
- Austin Russell Ash, 21, sentenced in Parkersburg gun case · West Virginia
- Jacob Daniel Anthony Sentenced in West Virginia Gun Theft · West Virginia
- Ex-Border Patrol Agent Franco Gets 18 Months for Gun Theft · West Virginia
- Parkersburg Felon Back in the System with Shotgun · West Virginia
- Parkersburg Felon Enoch Gets 5+ Years for Gun Possession · West Virginia
Key Facts
- State: West Virginia
- Agency: DOJ USAO
- Category: Weapons
- Source: Official Source ↗
🔒 Get the grimiest stories delivered weekly. Subscribe free →
Browse More
MORE FEDERAL CRIME NEWS
WeaponsWeaponsWeaponsWeapons