A Charlotte man and a straw purchaser have been sentenced for their involvement in illegal firearm activities, according to Lawrence J. Cameron, Acting U.S. Attorney for the Western District of North Carolina. Keon Deangelo Steele, 20, received a sentence of 41 months in prison followed by three years of supervised release. His girlfriend, Anna Micaiah Denise Mack, 22, was sentenced to 24 months on probation under court supervision.
The announcement was made with Bennie Mims, Special Agent in Charge of the U.S. Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives (ATF), Charlotte Field Division, and Chief Johnny Jennings of the Charlotte Mecklenburg Police Department (CMPD).
Court documents reveal that between May and June 2023, Steele sold multiple firearms to undercover officers. On July 6, 2023, he informed an undercover officer about having two firearms and two Glock switches for sale. A Glock switch is an illegal device that converts a conventional firearm into a machinegun. Steele and Mack were arrested at the meeting location after law enforcement observed them inside a vehicle. A search of the vehicle revealed a backpack containing a Glock 42 pistol with a Glock switch and an additional Glock switch.
Further investigation showed that on June 13, 2023, Mack purchased two firearms from a federal dealer in Gastonia using ATF Form 4473 but falsely claimed she was the actual buyer when she was purchasing them for Steele. Court records indicate Mack straw purchased at least seven firearms for Steele over several weeks.
Steele pleaded guilty to possession of a machinegun on June 27, 2024. Mack admitted guilt on April 4, 2024, for making false statements during firearm purchases.
Acting U.S. Attorney Cameron expressed gratitude to the ATF and CMPD for leading the investigation while Assistant U.S. Attorney Brandon Boykin prosecuted the case.
The U.S. Attorney’s Office warns against straw purchases—buying guns for those prohibited by law or who do not want their names associated with transactions—as it is a federal crime punishable by up to ten years in prison and fines up to $250,000.
For more information on avoiding participation in straw purchases, contact your local ATF office or call 1-800-ATF-GUNS.