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An Indianapolis man was sentenced to two years in federal prison after admitting to selling 36 firearms as part of a straw purchase firearms scheme.
In addition to his time in prison, 26-year-old Kayvonn Bailey will serve three years of supervised release, according to a news release.
He pleaded guilty to making a false statement to a licensed firearms importer following a September 2022 incident.
The case was prosecuted in the U.S. District Court for the Southern District of Indiana.
“Unscrupulous individuals who illegally put guns in the hands of folks who have no lawful business being armed help fuel gun violence in Indiana and across the country,” said Zachary A. Myers, U.S. Attorney for the Southern District of Indiana in a news release. “Not only did this criminal illegally traffic three dozen guns into the hands of prohibited people, but he also later engaged in armed domestic violence, demonstrating the danger he poses to his partner and our community.”
In September 2022, Bailey bought a .40 caliber pistol from a licensed firearms dealer in Beech Grove, according to court documents.
During the purchase, Bailey falsely stated on required federal forms that the gun was for himself.
But surveillance video from the store showed Bailey making the purchase alongside another person, who he then handed the gun to upon leaving the store.
This scheme, known as straw purchasing, is when a person who is legally allowed to purchase a firearm claims they’re buying it for themselves when they’re actually buying it for someone who cannot legally purchase one.
In this case, Bailey bought the gun for a man who is not a United States citizen.
Many non-citizens cannot buy or possess a firearm because of their immigration status.
In October 2022, police recovered the firearm Bailey purchased during a traffic stop in Pennsylvania.
The driver told police that Bailey got the firearm for him, and that he was the one who was with Bailey when he purchased it.
Bailey later confirmed the man’s story and admitted to straw purchasing and selling 36 firearms in total.
In May 2023, before his federal conviction, he was convicted in Marion Superior Court of domestic battery and intimidation using a firearm.
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