Couple gets over 5 years for trafficking firearms from Indianapolis to Chicago
INDIANAPOLIS (WIBC) — Miesha Webster, 27, of Indianapolis, has been sentenced to 18 months in federal prison followed by two years of supervised release after pleading guilty to conspiracy to transfer firearms to an out-of-state resident and making a false statement in connection with the purchase of a firearm.
James Osborne III, 34, of Indianapolis, has been sentenced to 45 months in federal prison followed by three years of supervised release after pleading guilty to conspiracy to transfer firearms to an out-of-state resident.
According to court documents, between June 2021, and September 17, 2021,
As part of the straw purchasing scheme, Osborne drove Webster to firearms dealers, and Webster would purchase certain makes and models of firearms, falsely claiming the firearms were being purchased for herself, when they were in fact being purchased on behalf of Osborne to sell. Osborne told Webster what guns to buy and gave her the money to make the purchases. Osborne was prohibited from purchasing firearms himself.
Webster and Osborne sold the straw-purchased firearms to an individual from Chicago, Illinois. The buyer met Webster and Osborne in Indiana to purchase the guns, then took them back to Chicago. Under federal law, it is a crime to willfully transfer or sell firearms to another person in another state if neither individual is a federally licensed firearms dealer.
On September 13, 2021, Webster was observed arriving at a federally licensed firearms dealer in Brownsburg, Indiana, in a vehicle driven by Osborne. Webster left the store with a Glock 21 .40 caliber pistol and a Glock 26 9mm pistol. On the ATF form, she listed herself as the actual buyer and listed a false home address. Webster and Osborne took the two firearms, along with others purchased by Webster on a different date, to Lafayette, Indiana, where they sold the guns to their Chicago purchaser. ATF agents arrived on scene of the illegal deal and arrested both defendants.
In total, Webster purchased at least 51 firearms, 24 of which have been recovered by law enforcement agencies in addition to the six seized during Webster and Osborne’s arrest. Of the 24 recovered firearms, 17 were recovered in Chicago or surrounding cities in Illinois.
