BECKLEY, W.Va. – Three more defendants were sentenced today for their roles in a conspiracy to traffic over 140 firearms from the Beckley area to Philadelphia, Pennsylvania.
Derrick Woodard, also known as “D,” 27, of Philadelphia, was sentenced to two years in prison, followed by three years of supervised release, for interstate travel with the intent to engage in dealing firearms without a license.
Tyana Bly, also known as “Biggie,” 23, of Beckley, and Megan Bickford, 34, of Oak Hill, were sentenced to five years of federal probation for making false statements in the acquisition of firearms. Bickford must serve the first four months of her probation on home confinement.
According to court documents and statements made in court, Woodard admitted to traveling to Beckley with Bisheem Jones, also known as “Bosh,” and several other co-defendants on October 17, 2020, to obtain firearms with plans to resell them for profit in Philadelphia. Bly and Bickford each admitted to buying firearms for Jones, who selected which firearms to buy at businesses within the Southern District of West Virginia and provided the money for the purchases.
Bly admitted to buying two SCCY CPX-2 9mm pistols and a Taurus G3C 9mm pistol for Jones in Beckley on April 2, 2021. Bickford admitted to buying a IWI, Model Jericho 941, 9mm pistol in Rainelle on November 2, 2020, and further admitted to carrying out at least 54 straw purchases throughout 2020.
Woodard, Bly, and Bickford are among 18 defendants who pleaded guilty in connection with the firearms trafficking. Of the over 140 firearms trafficked in the conspiracy, approximately 45 have been recovered at crime scenes primarily in Philadelphia and have been connected to two homicides, crimes of domestic violence, and other violent offenses.
United States Attorney Will Thompson made the announcement and commended the investigative work of the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives (ATF). United States District Judge Frank W. Volk imposed the sentences. Assistant United States Attorneys Negar M. Kordestani and Steve Loew prosecuted the cases.
This case is part of Project Safe Neighborhoods (PSN), a program bringing together all levels of law enforcement and the communities they serve to reduce violent crime and gun violence, and to make our neighborhoods safer for everyone.
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Key Facts
- State: West Virginia
- Agency: DOJ USAO
- Category: Drug Trafficking|Fraud & Financial Crimes|Violent Crime|Weapons|Organized Crime
- Source: Official Source ↗
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