A man from Kent, Washington has been sentenced to three years in prison for his involvement in purchasing and trafficking more than 130 firearms. The U.S. District Court in Seattle delivered the sentence today, as announced by U.S. Attorney Tessa M. Gorman. Dion Jamar Cooper, aged 33, was apprehended in April 2023 after an investigation led by the Seattle Police Department and the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms & Explosives (ATF).
During the sentencing hearing, U.S. District Judge Ricardo S. Martinez addressed Cooper with a question about the impact of his actions on the community: “Do you understand the damage that has been done in the community?... If people engage in straw purchasing and distribute the firearms in our community, or any community, there will be a serious consequence that follows.”
U.S. Attorney Gorman commented on ongoing discoveries linked to Cooper's activities: “Even as Mr. Cooper has awaited sentencing, we are finding additional crime guns linked to his straw purchasing activity.” She detailed that fifty-four of these guns have been connected to various crimes including armed robberies, bank robberies, carjackings, assaults, drive-by shootings, other shots-fired incidents and at least one homicide.
The investigation into Cooper began following an assault and attempted robbery incident in Rainier Valley in late January 2023 when a firearm found at the scene was traced back to him. This prompted further checks into his purchase history revealing he had acquired 107 firearms since June 2021—a figure which later rose to 133 through further investigations.
Surveillance during March and April 2023 revealed that De’ondre Lamontia Phillips drove Cooper to gun shops where he made purchases despite being prohibited from possessing firearms due to previous convictions. Phillips was sentenced last month to seven years imprisonment.
In February 2024, Cooper pleaded guilty to charges including making false statements related to firearm acquisitions and trafficking them.
Assistant United States Attorney Todd Greenberg emphasized Cooper’s role as "the largest known straw purchaser of firearms" within Washington's Western District history: "According to ATF analysis...crime guns were recovered from persons who were legally prohibited from possessing firearms...several of the recovered crime guns had very short 'time-to-crime' periods."
The ATF alongside Seattle Police continue their investigation while Assistant United States Attorney Todd Greenberg prosecutes this case.