Malden man sentenced to 21 months for ‘lying and buying’ firearm

CAPE GIRARDEAU, Mo. — A Malden man was sentenced to 21 months in prison for lying and purchasing a firearm.

According to a release from the United States Attorney’s Office, Jarvis Wofford, 26, of Malden, Mo., was sentenced to 21 months in prison on one felony count of being a previously convicted felon in possession of a firearm and one felony count of false statements to acquire a firearm. He appeared before United States District Judge Stephen N. Limbaugh, Jr.

At his plea on Aug. 28, Wofford admitted that on March 1 he went to a federal licensed firearms dealer, Mike's Guns, located in Malden. Wofford filled out a Form 4473 as part of his attempt to purchase a 9mm caliber pistol from the store. When Wofford filled out that Form 4473, he made a statement on that form that he was not under indictment or information for a felony offense.

At the time that Wofford made that statement, he knew the statement was false, in that Wofford knew that he was at that time charged by information and arraigned on the felony offense of sale of a controlled substance in the circuit court of Dunklin County, Mo. Wofford agreed that this statement would be material to whether the sale of the handgun would proceed.

Based on Wofford's answers on the Form 4473, his application to purchase a handgun was approved by the NICS instant check system. Wofford bought the pistol and took it from the store. On March 12 Wofford contacted the store and a Malden police officer to report that his pistol was stolen. That pistol was recovered on March 29 as the result of a search of another person's residence by police officers in Hayti Heights, Mo. An investigation followed into the history of the firearm, which disclosed Wofford's purchase of it.

Wofford was previously convicted of the felony offenses of theft and burglary in New Madrid County in 2012.

This case was investigated by the Malden Police Department, the Pemiscot County Sheriff’s Office, and the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms, and Explosives. Assistant United States Attorney Keith D. Sorrell handled the prosecution for the Government.