In a series of admissions revealing a complex fraudulent scheme, three individuals have pleaded guilty to charges related to using stolen credit card details for the illicit purchase of firearms. As per the information disclosed by the U.S. Attorney's Office for the Southern District of Ohio, the accused have confessed to acquiring guns online, which were then retrieved via supposed straw purchases.
Among the guilty, Roderico “Rico” Allen, at the age of 27, has accepted charges of making a false statement during a firearm purchase and aggravated identity theft. In one of the court documents, stopped by fraud prevention systems, Allen's attempts to place orders for dozens of handguns using stolen credit card information were partially thwarted. Nonetheless, he, along with his collaborators, managed to complete transactions for at least six firearms. According to the same court documents, at least three other individuals have pled guilty to charges alongside Allen and are awaiting sentencing.
Another defendant, Nehamiah Jones, aged 24, admitted to using stolen credit identities to attempt the purchase of nine handguns. He succeeded in acquiring three in his name, but six others were denied transfer by federal firearms licensees (FFLs) due to the names of co-conspirators being used. "Jones also pleaded guilty to submitting a fraudulent application for a pandemic-related Paycheck Protection Program (PPP) loan in 2021," the U.S. Attorney's Office for the Southern District of Ohio stated.
Aneesah Williams, 28 years old, confessed to one count of making a false statement during the purchase of a firearm in pursuit of acquiring eight firearms illegally. Charged along with four others in April 2023, waiting with bated breath, Williams' efforts to secure three additional firearms were unsuccessful. Previously, a co-defendant, Zephaniah Jones, received a sentence of 79 months in prison for his involvement in the conspiracy. Making false statements during the firearm acquisition process can lead to a maximum sentence of 10 years in prison. Aggravated identity theft carries a mandatory two-year consecutive sentence.
A group including Kenneth L. Parker, United States Attorney for the Southern District of Ohio, special agents from the ATF and HSI, and local law enforcement officials announced the recent string of guilty pleas. The cases were brought before U.S. District Judge Michael Barrett, with Assistant United States Attorneys Julie D. Garcia and Danielle Margeaux prosecuting. The collective effort underscores the rigorous scrutiny from federal and local law enforcement to thwart the illegal procurement of firearms and the fraudulent use of stolen personal information.
