Three Southeast Missouri men indicted for “lying and buying” firearms

CAPE GIRARDEAU, Mo. — Three Southeast Missouri men were arrested this week on indictments charging them with making false statements in connection with the purchase of firearms from Federal Firearms Licensees as well as the subsequent illegal possession of the firearms, according to the U.S. Attorney’s Office in Cape Girardeau.

Jarvis Wofford, 26, of Malden is alleged to have purchased a 9mm pistol from a gun shop in Malden on March 1 and falsely claimed on the ATF Form 4473 that he had not previously sustained a felony conviction. In truth, the indictment alleges Wofford was a convicted felon at the time of the purchase because he had sustained a conviction for felony theft and burglary in 2012 in the Circuit Court of New Madrid County.

Because of his prior felony, Wofford was a prohibited person under federal law and, therefore, has also been charged with being a felon in possession of a firearm. Wofford was also facing drug charges in Dunklin County at the time he purchased the 9mm firearm described in the Indictment, those charges are still pending. In addition to the gun charges, the federal Indictment against Wofford also alleges two instances of distribution of methamphetamine in 2014 and 2015 in Dunklin County.

Wofford faces up to 10 years imprisonment on each weapons charge and up to 20 years imprisonment on each methamphetamine charge.

Wesley Williams, 23, and Demontray Walker, 22, of Charleston were arrested for lying on federal forms in association with the purchase of firearms in early 2018.

Specifically, Williams and Walker are alleged to be habitual users of marijuana and admitted to investigators to using marijuana daily. Marijuana is a Schedule I controlled substance under federal law. Both Williams and Walker are alleged to have falsely denied being illegal users of any controlled substance on the ATF forms they completed earlier in 2018 when respectively acquiring an A-15 semi-automatic rifle in Sikeston and a 5.7 x 28mm semi- automatic pistol in Charleston.

In addition to the false statements to FFLs, Williams and Walker are alleged to have been found in possession of those weapons while unlawful users of controlled substance when law enforcement recovered them from the Defendants in Charleston on March 22.

Williams and Walker each face up to 10 years imprisonment for each weapons charge.

“Vigorous enforcement of the laws already in place which are designed to keep dangerous weapons out of the hands of prohibited persons is an important part of an integrated response to violent crime,” said United States Attorney Jeff Jensen. “We plan to continue cooperating with gun dealers and manufacturers to get illegal guns out of the wrong hands.”

ATF Special Agent in Charge George Lauder said “These cases should serve as a message to those individuals who choose to circumvent federal law in the acquisition of firearms. These investigations are a priority in ATF’s ongoing efforts to combat firearms related violence and we will pursue these violations of the law.”

These cases were investigated by the United States Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives in cooperation with the Malden Police Department and the Southeast Missouri Drug Task Force.

Assistant United States Attorneys Keith Sorrell and John Koester, Jr. are handling the cases for the United States Attorney’s Office.