A Boston man has been sentenced to three years of probation for his role in a firearm trafficking and straw purchasing conspiracy. Shakim Grant, 23, pleaded guilty in May 2023 and received his sentencing from U.S. District Court Judge Patti B. Saris on Friday. The conviction included one count of conspiracy to make false statements in records required to be kept by a Federal Firearms Licensee (FFL) and one count of aiding and abetting the making of false statements in those records, according to the U.S. Attorney's Office for the District of Massachusetts.
In charges dating back to January 2023, Grant, along with co-conspirators Cory Daigle and Gustavo Rodriguez, was implicated in a scheme that ran from August 2022 through November 2022, during which false records were created to conceal illegal firearm sales. Daigle, an FFL, and Rodriguez, who is prohibited from owning a firearm, allegedly collaborated with Grant to falsify documentation that obscured the identity of the true purchaser of the guns—Rodriguez. This ruse was later attempted to be covered up by providing misleading information to law enforcement officials.
One of the firearms sold was linked to a shooting outside of Rodriguez's home just two weeks after its sale and was later found in the possession of a juvenile in New Bedford. Daigle and Rodriguez entered guilty pleas in August 2024 and November 2023, respectively, with Daigle currently awaiting sentence and Rodriguez slated for the same fate.
Acting United States Attorney Joshua S. Levy, amid the announcement concerning Grant's sentencing, was joined by James M. Ferguson, Special Agent in Charge of the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms, & Explosives, Boston Field Division, and Boston Police Commissioner Michael Cox. Their joint effort, along with support from the Revere Police Department, marked the culmination of a multi-agency endeavor. Assistant U.S. Attorney Luke A. Goldworm of the Major Crimes Unit handles the prosecution of the case.
