Richmond Man Pleads Guilty to Straw Purchasing Firearms From Virginia Firearms Dealers

Richmond Man Pleads Guilty to Straw Purchasing Firearms From Virginia Firearms Dealers

RICHMOND, Va. - A Richmond man pleaded guilty yesterday to federal firearm charges for conspiring to straw purchase firearms from licensed firearms dealers throughout Virginia.

According to court documents, Tre'Shawn N. Brooks, 22, purchased firearms in 2021 from licensed firearms dealers and falsely certified on federal forms that he was the actual buyer of each firearm. In reality, Brooks purchased the firearms on behalf of at least four other individuals, who specified for Brooks which firearms Brooks was to purchase. Brooks in turn sold these firearms to co-conspirators. On at least three separate occasions, Brooks purchased firearms for minor-aged individuals who, as Brooks well knew, were not eligible to legally purchase firearms. On another occasion, Brooks purchased a firearm for another individual and the Richmond Police Department eventually recovered this firearm while executing a search warrant as part of a homicide investigation. As part of his plea agreement, Brooks consented to the forfeiture of nine firearms that law enforcement recovered during the investigation.

Brooks is scheduled to be sentenced on December 9. He faces a maximum penalty of 5 years in prison. Actual sentences for federal crimes are typically less than the maximum penalties. A federal district court judge will determine any sentence after taking into account the U.S. Sentencing Guidelines and other statutory factors.

Jessica D. Aber, U.S. Attorney for the Eastern District of Virginia, and Charlie J. Patterson, Special Agent in Charge of the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives' (ATF) Washington Field Division, made the announcement after U.S. Senior District Judge Henry E. Hudson accepted the plea.

Assistant U.S. Attorneys Avi Panth and Stephen E. Anthony are prosecuting the case.

A copy of this press release is located on the website of the U.S. Attorney's Office for the Eastern District of Virginia. Related court documents and information are located on the website of the District Court for the Eastern District of Virginia or on PACER by searching for Case No. 3:22-cr-110.