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Two Indianapolis residents were sentenced to federal prison for their roles in trafficking dozens of firearms from Indianapolis to Chicago in 2021.
Miesha Webster, 27, was sentenced to 18 months in prison and two years of supervised released after pleading guilty to the following charges:
- Conspiracy to transfer firearms to an out-of-state resident
- Making a false statement in connection with the purchase of a firearm
James Osborne III, 34, was sentenced to three years and nine months in prison and three years of supervised release after pleading guilty to the charge of conspiracy to transfer firearms to an out-of-state resident.
Between June and September 2021, Webster and Osborne “straw purchased” at least 37 firearms from federally licensed dealers in Indiana, according to court documents.
Straw purchasing is when a person legally purchases a gun from a licensed dealer but falsely claims the firearm is for themselves. These firearms are actually meant for someone else, typically one who can’t legally purchase a gun themselves.
In this case, Osborne drove Webster to firearm dealers, where Webster would buy guns for Osborne to then sell. Osborne, who was prohibited from buying firearms, told Webster which ones to buy and gave her money for them.
These straw-purchased firearms were sold to a person from Chicago, who met the pair in Indiana to buy the guns and take them back to Chicago. Federal law prohibits the transfer or sale of firearms to another person in a different state if neither individual is a federally licensed dealer.
On Sept. 13, 2021, Webster was seen arriving at a licensed dealer in Brownsburg in a vehicle driven by Osborne. On the ATF form, Webster listed herself as the buyer alongside a fake home address.
On a later day, she and Osborne sold multiple firearms to their Chicago buyer in Lafayette. ATF agents arrived on scene and arrested the pair.
Law enforcement agencies have recovered 30 of the estimated 51 firearms Webster purchased. Seventeen of those firearms were recovered in Chicago and surrounding cities.
“Illegal gun sales fuel violence in Indiana, Chicago, and across the country, by putting deadly weapons in the hands of people with no lawful business having them,” said Zachary A. Myers, U.S. attorney for the Southern District of Indiana. “The federal prison sentences imposed here demonstrate that straw purchase schemes are serious crimes that carry serious consequences. I commend the ATF and our federal prosecutor for their efforts to reduce gun violence and hold gun traffickers accountable.”
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