Mark Tyson
Member
11/05/2003
(Chicago) -- A 31-year-old man pleaded guilty Wednesday to illegally purchasing firearms from Mississippi gun dealers and reselling the weapons to Chicago street gangs.
Louis Rowe, of 4523 W. Jackson Blvd., pleaded guilty to one count each of being a felon in possession of a firearm and conspiring to violate the federal firearms laws by illegally purchasing, transporting and selling guns.
He admitted in a plea agreement with prosecutors to conspiring with co-defendants Charles Yarbor and Julius Sangster to illegally purchase weapons from federally licensed gun dealer Jimmy D. Wren and other firearms dealers in and around Grenada, Miss., from 1995 to 1997.
Wren, who owned J.W.'s Second Amendment Sporting Goods Store in Nettleton, Miss., was selling firearms out of his van parked at a medical center in Grenada, according to Assistant U.S. Atty. T. Markus Funk.
Rowe, Sangster and Yarbor usually bought crack cocaine in Chicago, resold the drugs at a higher rate in Grenada and used the proceeds to buy firearms illegally, the plea said.
The three men, all Chicago street gang members, provided false information on Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives forms when purchasing weapons, the plea said. They also recruited four women to act as straw purchasers of firearms on their behalf.
Wren allowed the three men to fill out ATF forms in the names of the female straw purchasers and forge the signatures, according to the plea. Wren also told his co-defendants to make sure the women reported the firearms as stolen in order to conceal the scheme, the plea said.
Sangster, Rowe and Yarbor wrapped the firearms in sheets and secured the weapons under the rear bumpers of their cars before transporting them from Mississippi to Chicago, according to the plea. The guns then were stored at Rowe's home.
They purchased a total of about 83 firearms from Mississippi gun dealers, including approximately 21 SKS assault rifles and 30 Bryco 9mm handguns, the plea said. Wren sold the men about 50 of the firearms, according to the plea.
Rowe said he removed the serial numbers on the guns prior to selling them to various Chicago-area street gangs.
Although they bought SKS assault rifles for about $100 to $165, they resold the weapons in Chicago for $600 to $2,000, the plea said.
Chicago authorities recovered 28 firearms that were linked to crimes, Funk said.
Rowe has on his record between 1991 and 1999 two convictions for felon in possession of a weapon, and one each for armed robbery and drug possession, the plea said.
Rowe, who participated in the gun ring while on parole, faces a maximum penalty of 15 years in prison.
In exchange for his plea, the government agreed not to seek additional charges for crimes prosecutors knew about while entering into the plea agreement. The government agreed not to charge Rowe with fleeing prosecution or allegedly threatening a witness in 2002.
Rowe was arrested in April in Oshkosh, Wisconsin. U.S. District Chief Judge Charles Kocoras was scheduled to impose sentence at 10 a.m. Jan. 21, 2004.
A jury convicted Wren, of Nettleton, Miss., and Yarbor, of Chicago, last November of conspiracy to violate federal firearms laws by illegally purchasing and selling guns.
Kocoras sentenced the two men earlier this year to each serve the maximum statutory penalty of 5 years in prison, 3 years supervised release and each pay a $3,000 fine.
Sangster, of Chicago, was sentenced to 4 years in prison after he pleaded guilty to his role in the crime, Funk said.
None of the straw purchasers was charged.
(Chicago) -- A 31-year-old man pleaded guilty Wednesday to illegally purchasing firearms from Mississippi gun dealers and reselling the weapons to Chicago street gangs.
Louis Rowe, of 4523 W. Jackson Blvd., pleaded guilty to one count each of being a felon in possession of a firearm and conspiring to violate the federal firearms laws by illegally purchasing, transporting and selling guns.
He admitted in a plea agreement with prosecutors to conspiring with co-defendants Charles Yarbor and Julius Sangster to illegally purchase weapons from federally licensed gun dealer Jimmy D. Wren and other firearms dealers in and around Grenada, Miss., from 1995 to 1997.
Wren, who owned J.W.'s Second Amendment Sporting Goods Store in Nettleton, Miss., was selling firearms out of his van parked at a medical center in Grenada, according to Assistant U.S. Atty. T. Markus Funk.
Rowe, Sangster and Yarbor usually bought crack cocaine in Chicago, resold the drugs at a higher rate in Grenada and used the proceeds to buy firearms illegally, the plea said.
The three men, all Chicago street gang members, provided false information on Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives forms when purchasing weapons, the plea said. They also recruited four women to act as straw purchasers of firearms on their behalf.
Wren allowed the three men to fill out ATF forms in the names of the female straw purchasers and forge the signatures, according to the plea. Wren also told his co-defendants to make sure the women reported the firearms as stolen in order to conceal the scheme, the plea said.
Sangster, Rowe and Yarbor wrapped the firearms in sheets and secured the weapons under the rear bumpers of their cars before transporting them from Mississippi to Chicago, according to the plea. The guns then were stored at Rowe's home.
They purchased a total of about 83 firearms from Mississippi gun dealers, including approximately 21 SKS assault rifles and 30 Bryco 9mm handguns, the plea said. Wren sold the men about 50 of the firearms, according to the plea.
Rowe said he removed the serial numbers on the guns prior to selling them to various Chicago-area street gangs.
Although they bought SKS assault rifles for about $100 to $165, they resold the weapons in Chicago for $600 to $2,000, the plea said.
Chicago authorities recovered 28 firearms that were linked to crimes, Funk said.
Rowe has on his record between 1991 and 1999 two convictions for felon in possession of a weapon, and one each for armed robbery and drug possession, the plea said.
Rowe, who participated in the gun ring while on parole, faces a maximum penalty of 15 years in prison.
In exchange for his plea, the government agreed not to seek additional charges for crimes prosecutors knew about while entering into the plea agreement. The government agreed not to charge Rowe with fleeing prosecution or allegedly threatening a witness in 2002.
Rowe was arrested in April in Oshkosh, Wisconsin. U.S. District Chief Judge Charles Kocoras was scheduled to impose sentence at 10 a.m. Jan. 21, 2004.
A jury convicted Wren, of Nettleton, Miss., and Yarbor, of Chicago, last November of conspiracy to violate federal firearms laws by illegally purchasing and selling guns.
Kocoras sentenced the two men earlier this year to each serve the maximum statutory penalty of 5 years in prison, 3 years supervised release and each pay a $3,000 fine.
Sangster, of Chicago, was sentenced to 4 years in prison after he pleaded guilty to his role in the crime, Funk said.
None of the straw purchasers was charged.
