Bishop Allen, aged 26, has been sentenced to two years and six months in federal prison for his involvement in a firearm trafficking ring, as announced by United States Attorney Dawn N. Ison. This sentencing is part of ongoing efforts by the U.S. Attorney's Office to prosecute straw purchasers and gun traffickers. Since early 2022, at least 20 individuals have been convicted in Detroit for similar offenses.
U.S. Attorney Ison emphasized the office's dedication to preventing firearms from reaching convicted felons: "My office is committed to keeping guns out of the hands of convicted felons and will aggressively prosecute not just the leaders of these gun trafficking organizations, but also the straw purchasers that make these schemes possible."
James Deir, Special Agent in Charge at the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives (ATF) Detroit Division, underscored the priority of prosecuting illegal firearm traffickers: "Identifying and prosecuting illegal firearm traffickers who knowingly place illegally purchased firearms in the hands of criminals as a money-making scheme is ATF’s top priority."
The announcement included details on several other cases:
In "United States v. Chauncey Williams et al.", Chauncey Williams, Antonio Jackson, and Mike Chahoua led a scheme using stolen credit card information to buy firearms online. They enlisted straw purchasers to falsely complete required paperwork for picking up these firearms. The group obtained at least 55 firearms through this method.
In "United States v. Ruemondo Murray et al.", Ruemondo Murray was sentenced earlier this year for orchestrating another conspiracy involving straw purchases of 24 firearms by six women.
Nathan Price pleaded guilty in July 2024 in "United States v. Nathan Price" for making false statements during firearm acquisitions between December 2023 and February 2024.
Kai Edwards and Quentin Luster were involved in a case where Edwards purchased firearms on behalf of Luster, a convicted felon.
Omar Shorter was found guilty of purchasing approximately 39 guns without a license between 2020 and 2022.
These cases are part of Project Safe Neighborhoods (PSN), an initiative aimed at reducing violent crime through evidence-based strategies focusing on enforcement against violent offenders while partnering with prevention programs.
Additionally, the ATF's campaign "Don’t Lie for the Other Guy" seeks to curb illegal firearm purchases by educating potential straw purchasers about legal consequences.
More information about this campaign can be accessed at www.dontlie.org.