Cleveland Man Indicted for Making Illegal Straw Purchases of 24 Firearms over Two Days

A Cleveland man was indicted for making illegal straw purchases of 24 firearms over two days, said Carole S. Rendon, U.S. Attorney for the Northern District of Ohio and Trevor Velinor, ATF Special Agent in Charge for the Columbus Field Division.

Carlton H. Nunn, 36, was indicted on one count of making false and fictitious statements regarding the sale of firearms.

Nunn purchased two dozen firearms from four dealers on Sept. 10 and 11, 2016, according to the indictment.

Nunn knowingly and unlawfully made false and fictitious statements, intended to deceive dealers, that he was the actual buyer of said firearms when, in fact, he was not the actual buyer of said firearms, according to the indictment.

“This defendant illegally bought two dozen firearms to provide to people with felony convictions,” Rendon said.

“ATF is committed to combating gun violence in our communities, including the individuals who provide firearms to people who are prohibited from having them,” Velinor said. “We will continue to work to make our communities safer by investigating and bringing to prosecution the individuals who enable violent criminals.”

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.

This case is being prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Megan R. Miller following an investigation by the ATF.

An indictment is only 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.