OHIO — A federal grand jury has indicted six individuals on charges of conspiring to commit offenses against the United States by making false statements on federal firearms forms.
The group is accused of using stolen credit card information to purchase firearms online illegally.
Those charged include:
Keith Davenport III “Keefy”, 21, Columbus. Ellyson Jeffries, 23, Reynoldsburg. Javohn Garcia “JG”, 23, Reynoldsburg. D’andre McCoy, 27, Atlanta. Vincent Irvin V, 33, Columbus.
The 14-count indictment, returned on Oct. 30 and unsealed on Nov. 15, alleges the defendants conspired from May to September 2022 to illegally purchase at least 50 firearms.
They allegedly used stolen credit card information to order firearms online and lied on federal forms to claim they were purchasing the guns for themselves.
The firearms were transferred to retailers for in-person pick-up in Ohio cities such as Reynoldsburg, Columbus, New Albany, Pataskala, and Pickerington, as well as in Atlanta and Smyrna, Georgia.
Prosecutors claim the defendants sold or intended to sell many of the illegally obtained firearms.
In addition to the conspiracy charge, Davenport is charged with aggravated identity theft.
Federal penalties for these charges include up to five years in prison for conspiracy, up to 10 years for making false statements during firearms purchases, and a mandatory two-year sentence for aggravated identity theft.
The case is being prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorneys S. Courter Shimeall and Damoun Delaviz. U.S. Attorney Kenneth L. Parker, ATF Special Agent in Charge Daryl S. McCormick, and Columbus Police Chief Elaine Bryant announced the charges.
An indictment is only an allegation, and all defendants are presumed innocent until proven guilty in a court of law.