BUFFALO, N.Y.—A Pennsylvania woman has been sentenced to 12 months in prison for her role in straw gun purchases that led to local crimes. Jacqueline Runyan, 48, of Bradford, PA, was convicted of conspiracy to transport firearms purchased outside the state of residency.
According to Assistant U.S. Attorney Mary Catherine Baumgarten, Runyan purchased two firearms, .40 caliber pistols, for co-defendant Juan Lopez on December 20, 2008. On December 30, 2008, she purchased an additional two firearms, another .40 caliber pistol and a .22 caliber pistol.
Runyan was arrested in September 2012, along with several co-defendants, including Juan Lopez, Robert Reed, Trisha Amidon, Robert Johnson, Misty Mihalko, Amy Hollingsworth, and Brett Abrams. According to the indictment, Juan Lopez recruited co-defendants to purchase firearms for him in exchange for cocaine and money.
As a convicted felon, Lopez was unable to purchase guns on his own, prompting the need for the straw purchases. The indictment further states that Lopez went to stores that sold guns in Pennsylvania with defendants Reed, Runyan, Amidon, Johnson, Mihalko, and Hollingsworth to select the firearms they would purchase for him.
Lopez then brought the guns back to the Buffalo area, where they would be used in drug-related activities. Some of the firearms were recovered after being used in various crimes in Buffalo. Several of the co-defendants have already been convicted, with charges pending against Robert Reed.
U.S. Attorney William J. Hochul, Jr. praised the successful investigation, stating, “This successful investigation closed a clandestine gun running operation by which firearms were illegally brought into this community.” The case was investigated by Special Agents of the Federal Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives, under the direction of Resident Agent in Charge Frank Christiano.
Chief U.S. District Court Judge William M. Skretny handed down the sentence, which is a result of Runyan’s guilty plea. The case serves as a reminder of the importance of law enforcement’s efforts to identify and prosecute gun trafficking operations.
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Key Facts
- State: New York
- Category: Violent Crime|Weapons|Drug Trafficking
- Source: DOJ Press Release ↗
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