Feds Continue to Target Gun Traffickers

Source: Office of United States Attorneys

DETROIT – Bishop Allen, 26, was sentenced yesterday to 2 years and 6 months in federal prison for his role in a firearm trafficking ring, United States Attorney Dawn N. Ison announced. This is the latest in a series of prosecutions by the United States Attorney’s Office targeting straw purchasers and gun traffickers. A straw purchaser is someone who unlawfully purchases a gun for another, typically a person who is prohibited by law from possessing one or for someone who does not want their name associated with the transaction. Since the beginning of 2022, at least 20 people have been convicted in federal court in Detroit for their involvement in the straw purchasing of firearms.

Ison was joined in the announcement by Special Agent in Charge James Deir, Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives, Detroit Division.

“My office is committed to keeping guns out of the hands of convicted felons and will aggressively prosecute not just the leaders of these gun trafficking organizations, but also the straw purchasers that make these schemes possible. Lying when buying a gun for someone else is a serious crime that deserves just punishments like these,” U.S. Attorney Ison said. “Our commitment to preventing the illegal flow of firearms is unwavering, and we will continue to use every tool at our disposal to ensure the safety of our citizens.”

“Identifying and prosecuting illegal firearm traffickers who knowingly place illegally purchased firearms in the hands of criminals as a money-making scheme is ATF’s top priority.  Cases like this represent the worst side of personal greed.  Bishop Allen and his co-conspirators knowingly placed our community’s safety second to their collective greed to make a buck,” said ATF Detroit Field Division Special Agent in Charge James Deir. “Ultimately, Mr. Allen is going to have a lot of free time to reflect on his poor decision making.”

Among the cases brought in federal court are:

United States v. Chauncey Williams, et al.

Chauncey Williams, Antonio Jackson, and Mike Chahoua were leaders of a scheme to use stolen credit card information to buy firearms online, which were then shipped to local firearm retailers for pickup. The leaders enlisted several straw purchasers to pick up firearms. To get the firearms, the straw purchasers were directed to lie on the required ATF paperwork. In total, the group illegally obtained at least 55 firearms through the scheme. Several of the firearms have been recovered by law enforcement, including in the hands of convicted felons.

The three leaders of the trafficking ring were sentenced as follows:

  • Chauncey Williams, age 24 of Detroit: 81 months’ imprisonment
  • Antonio Jackson, age 24 of Detroit: 94 months’ imprisonment
  • Mike Chahoua, age 25 of Detroit: 52 months’ imprisonment

The straw purchasers involved in the trafficking ring were sentenced as follows:

  • Garcia Moses, age 26 of Detroit: 54 months’ imprisonment
  • Emmanuel Stevens, age 23 of Detroit: 46 months’ imprisonment
  • Donte Turner, age 27 of Mt. Clemens: 30 months’ imprisonment
  • James Jackson, age 25 of Detroit: 30 months’ imprisonment
  • Eshon Rose, age 24 of Redford Charter Township: 18 months’ imprisonment
  • Bishop Allen, age 26 of Detroit: 30 months’ imprisonment

United States v. Ruemondo Murray, et al.

Earlier this year, Ruemondo Murray was sentenced to 52 months’ imprisonment for directing a separate conspiracy to straw purchase firearms. According to court documents, 6 women involved in that conspiracy purchased a total of 24 firearms on behalf of Murray from multiple federally licensed firearms dealers in metro Detroit. When the women made the purchases, they falsely affirmed on federal firearms purchase documents that they were the actual buyer of the firearms, when in fact, they were purchasing them for Murray. Murray is prohibited from possessing firearms due to his previous felony convictions of robbery and felony firearm.

In total, the group illegally obtained at least 24 firearms.  All of the remaining straw purchasers involved in the trafficking ring have already pleaded guilty to felony offenses and been sentenced.

United States v. Nathan Price

On July 11, 2024, Nathan Price pleaded guilty to Making a False Statement During the Acquisition of a Firearm, in violation of federal law. Between December 2023 and February 2024, Price straw purchased 10 firearms from various federal firearms dealers in the Detroit area. For each purchase, he falsely declared that he was the actual purchaser of the firearm.  He was sentenced to a year and a day in prison.

United States v. Kai Edwards & Quentin Luster

In November of 2022, Kai Edwards entered a gun store with a convicted felon, Quentin Luster, and purchased two firearms at his request. In 2024, Edwards pleaded guilty and was sentenced.   On August 15, 2024, Luster entered a guilty plea to straw purchase of a firearm and was sentenced to 27 months in federal prison.

United States v. Omar Shorter

From 2020 to 2022, Omar Shorter purchased approximately 39 guns. On April 10, 2024, a jury found Shorter guilty of Making a False Statement During the Acquisition of a Firearm and Engaging in the Business of Selling Firearms without a License.  Of the 39 guns Shorter purchased, 9 were recovered by police officers during felony arrests and 3 were involved in non-fatal shootings. Shorter was sentenced to 14 months in prison.

These cases are a part of Project Safe Neighborhoods (PSN), the centerpiece of the Department of Justice’s violent crime reduction efforts.  PSN is an evidence-based program proven to be effective at reducing violent crime.  Through PSN, a broad spectrum of stakeholders work together to identify the most pressing violent crime problems in the community and develop comprehensive solutions to address them.  As part of this strategy, PSN focuses enforcement efforts on the most violent offenders and partners with locally based prevention and reentry programs for lasting reductions in crime.

The Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives’ campaign “Don’t Lie for the Other Guy” is a part of PSN aimed at reducing firearm “straw purchases,” the illegal purchase of a firearm by one person for another, and to educate would-be straw purchasers of the penalties of knowingly participating in an illegal firearm purchase. More information about the campaign can be found at: www.dontlie.org.