Editors Note: The following press release is directly from ATF. Regular readers of AmmoLand News know our stance on the unaccountable Federal Agency: No comment. We invite our readers to leave their hard-hitting insights in the comments below.

URBANA, Ill. – -(AmmoLand.com)-An Urbana, Illinois, woman, Lawanda Rogers (formerly Moore), age 31, of the 1100 block of East Willard Street, was sentenced on July 12, 2022, to six months in prison for unlawfully transferring firearms to prohibited persons.

At the sentencing hearing, the government detailed how four firearms lawfully purchased by Moore were ultimately seized from two felons during subsequent criminal investigations. Moore’s husband possessed one firearm that had been purchased by Moore. The firearm was seized from a hotel room along with various narcotics in October 2015. Moore’s boyfriend was in possession of three firearms that were seized in November 2018 and June 2019 that had similarly been purchased by Moore. The three firearms seized from Moore’s boyfriend were confiscated by police during drug investigations, with one being used in a shooting in Champaign.

At the hearing, U.S. District Judge Michael M. Mihm emphasized the seriousness of Moore’s conduct, noting the dangerousness of buying firearms to then provide them to those unable to lawfully purchase firearms.

Moore was sentenced following a guilty plea. Unlawful transfer of a firearm to a prohibited person carries a statutory penalty of up to ten years in prison.

“This case demonstrates clearly that those who purchase firearms for others will be held accountable,” said Assistant U.S. Attorney Rachel Ritzer. “This sentence is a step forward in the fight against gun violence in our communities and sends a message to others engaged in the same dangerous behavior that it will not be tolerated.”

The Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives; Champaign Street Crimes Task Force; and Champaign Police Department investigated the case. Assistant U.S. Attorney Ritzer represented the government in the prosecution.

Chicago Field Division

Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms, and Explosives

ATF is the federal law enforcement agency responsible for investigating violations of the federal firearms and explosives laws and regulations. More information about ATF and its programs can be found at www.atf.gov.