ROANOKE, Va. – A Roanoke man was sentenced Thursday to seven years in federal prison after trafficking at least 25 firearms from Virginia, at least nine of which were later tied to criminal activities in other states, according to the U.S. Department of Justice.
Jermaine Drummond, 46, pled guilty to two counts of knowingly making a false statement in connection with the acquisition of a firearm and aiding and abetting.
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“Illegal guns in the hands of prohibited owners lead to higher levels of violent crime in our neighborhoods. It is a cornerstone of the Department of Justice’s public safety policy to keep these guns out of the hands of those who should not have them,” United States Attorney Christopher R. Kavanaugh said. “My Office will continue to vigorously prosecute individuals who threaten the safety of our communities by circumventing the law to supply firearms to violent criminals.”
Court documents show that beginning in 2019, and later in June 2020, Drummond used non-prohibited individuals to purchase at least 25 firearms for himself. The DOJ says some of the purchases were made from federally licensed firearms dealers, with others coming from private transactions.
At least nine of the illegally-purchased firearms have been recovered in connection with criminal activity in Maryland, New York, and Washington D.C.. the DOJ said.
“We will continue to utilize intelligence-driven approaches to eradicate the supply of crime guns to violent offenders,” said ATF Washington Field Division Acting Special Agent in Charge Christopher Amon. “We will remain on the frontlines alongside our law enforcement partners in the fight to disrupt and dismantle the illegal possession of firearms, which continue to plague our communities with violence.”