Cleveland woman indicted for making straw purchase of rifle used in attempted robbery of Willoughby credit union

A Cleveland woman was indicted in federal court for making a straw purchase from a gun store in Eastlake of a rifle that was later used in the attempted robbery of a credit union.

Marshyia S. Ligon, 20, was indicted on one count of making a false statement in the acquisition of a firearm.

Ligon made false statements on Oct. 4, 2017 when she purchased a Smith & Wesson M&P 15, 556 caliber rifle bearing the serial number TH11301 from Sherwin Shooting Sports, 33140 Vine Street in Eastlake. Ligon falsely stated she was the actual buyer of the rifle when, in fact, she was not the actual buyer of the firearms, according to the indictment.

The firearm was recovered one week later at the Willoughby Eastlake Schools Credit Union, where it was used in an attempt to rob the credit union.

This case was investigated by the Federal Bureau of Investigation, Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives and the Willoughby Police Department, with assistance from the Cuyahoga County Prosecutor’s Crime Strategies Unit. It is being prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney Scott Zarzycki.

If convicted, the defendant’s sentence will be determined by the Court after review of factors unique to this case, including the defendant’s prior criminal record, if any, the defendant’s role in the offense and the characteristics of the violations.  In all cases, the sentence will not exceed the statutory maximum and, in most cases, it will be less than the maximum.

An indictment is a charge and is not evidence of guilt. A defendant is entitled to a fair trial in which it will be the government's burden to prove guilt beyond a reasonable doubt.