A Maine man has been handed a two-year prison sentence following his guilty plea for conspiracy to straw purchase firearms and their subsequent trafficking to Massachusetts. Bangor resident Traveyon Richardson, age 26, will face a court-mandated three years of supervised release after completing his prison term, a Boston federal Court determined.
The case, part of an indictment from July 2023 involving Richardson and an alleged co-conspirator, Breon Stroup, proceeded after Richardson's April 2024 plea. Stroup's case is still on the docket, with developments awaited. Their indictment draws back to a September 2022 incident where Stroup reportedly used Snapchat to request that Richardson acquire two specific guns for him in Maine, which maintains less stringent gun laws compared to neighboring Massachusetts. A Cash App money transfer facilitated the purchase online, followed by Richardson personally transporting them to Massachusetts in October 2022.
Interceptions of communications between the two illuminated an attempt to cover up their digital tracks, with Stroup allegedly assuring Richardson about the deletion of his Snapchat and iCloud accounts shortly after the firearms changed hands. "The details contained in the charging documents are allegations," notes the Department of Justice, adding, "The remaining defendant is presumed innocent unless and until proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt in a Court of law," in a statement on their website.
The successful indictment was a group effort, with Acting U.S. Attorney Joshua S. Levy and ATF Special Agent in Charge James M. Ferguson at the helm. Acknowledgment was given for the support from agencies including the Fall River Police Department and the Maine State Police. The case falls under the purview of Assistant U.S. Attorneys Lucy Sun and Timothy E. Moran of the Organized Crime & Gang Unit, who are currently leading the prosecution.
