Maine and Massachusetts men accused of conspiring to straw purchase firearms, one trafficking firearms

BOSTON – Two men have been indicted by a federal grand jury in Boston for allegedly conspiring to straw purchase firearms in Maine and traffic the firearms to Massachusetts.

According to the Massachusetts Department of Justice, 25-year-old Traveyon Richardson of Bangor, Maine and 26-year-old Breon Stroup of Fall River, Mass., were indicted on one count each of conspiracy to straw purchase firearms. Richardson was also indicted on one count of trafficking of firearms and Stroup was indicted on one count of a felon in possession of firearms and ammunition. The defendants will appear in federal court in Boston at a later date.

According to the charging document, in September 2022, Stroup allegedly used Snapchat to ask Richardson to purchase two specific firearms for him in Maine, where Richardson resides. It is alleged that the following day, Stroup sent Richardson a Cash App money transfer and Richardson purchased the firearms online. Then, Richardson allegedly picked up the firearms from the federal firearm license dealer and drove the firearms to Massachusetts in October 2022.

It is further alleged that approximately two weeks later, in October 2022, Richardson and Stroup had a phone conversation where Stroup assured Richardson that he had deleted his Snapchat account. When Richardson allegedly inquired about Stroup’s iCloud account, Stroup responded that he had deleted his iCloud account also.

The charge of conspiracy to straw purchase firearms provides for a sentence of up to 15 years in prison, three years of supervised release and a fine of $250,000. The charge of trafficking of firearms provides for a sentence of up to 15 years in prison, three years of supervised release and a fine of $250,000. The charge of being a felon in possession of a firearm and ammunition provides for a sentence of up to 10 years in prison, three years of supervised release and a fine of $250,000. Sentences are imposed by a federal district court judge based upon the U.S. Sentencing Guidelines and statutes which govern the determination of a sentence in a criminal case.

Acting United States Attorney Joshua S. Levy; James M. Ferguson, Special Agent in Charge of the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms & Explosives, Boston Field Division; and Christopher DiMenna, Acting Special Agent in Charge of the Federal Bureau of Investigation, Boston Division made the announcement. Valuable assistance was provided by the Fall River Police Department and the Maine State Police. Assistant U.S. Attorney Lucy Sun of Levy’s Organized Crime & Gang Unit is prosecuting the case.