Kenneth Locke, a 23-year-old resident of Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, has been sentenced to ten months in jail for his involvement in a gun trafficking scheme. Locke was convicted of conspiring with others to illegally obtain firearms from a licensed dealer by making false statements, a practice known as "straw purchasing."
The announcement was made by United States Attorney Carla B. Freedman and Bryan Miller, Special Agent in Charge of the New York Field Division of the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms, and Explosives (ATF).
Locke had previously pleaded guilty to entering an agreement with Rylan Peterson from Kingston, New York. Peterson, who was living in North Carolina at the time and is a former Marine, collaborated with Locke to acquire six semi-automatic handguns on behalf of Oryin McLeod and other residents of Kingston. After receiving payment from McLeod through Peterson, Locke purchased the firearms in December 2022 from a licensed dealer in North Carolina. He falsely claimed he was buying them for himself.
Peterson transported the firearms from North Carolina to New York and provided them to McLeod and others involved. McLeod was later arrested for unlawful possession of two guns obtained through this straw purchasing scheme.
Senior United States District Judge Lawrence E. Kahn also imposed a three-year term of supervised release following Locke's incarceration. McLeod has already been sentenced to 34 months in prison for his role in acquiring the firearms unlawfully. Peterson is scheduled for sentencing on March 26, 2025.
The investigation was conducted by ATF and the Kingston Police Department. Assistant U.S. Attorney Dustin C. Segovia prosecuted the case.