A 30-year-old Detroit man pleaded guilty today to a charge of buying a firearm through a straw purchaser, Acting United States Attorney Daniel L. Lemisch announced today.
Lemisch was joined in the announcement by Special Agent in Charge David P. Gelios, Federal Bureau of Investigation, Detroit Division.
Sebastian Gregerson pleaded guilty before United States District Judge Arthur J. Tarnow in Detroit.
According to court records, on Feb. 16, 2014, defendant Gregerson purchased a Glock 31.357 caliber gun through a straw purchaser in Virginia. The defendant accompanied another individual to a gun show in Virginia where the individual purchased the gun for Gregerson. Gregerson gave cash to the individual to make the gun purchase and identified the gun he wanted the individual to purchase. At the time of the transaction, the individual completed a federal firearms form indicating that he was the buyer of the gun, when, in fact, Gregerson was the actual buyer. Gregerson was present during the transaction and took possession of the gun after the purchase. The gun was recovered from defendant Gregerson’s residence at the time of his arrest in July, 2016.
Defendant Gregerson previously pled guilty, on March 17, 2017, to possession of unregistered destructive devices based on his purchase, through an FBI employee acting in an undercover capacity (UCE), of grenade bodies containing high explosives, as well as grenade fuses. Those components constituted a combination of parts that were designed or intended for use in M67 fragmentation grenades and from which M67 fragmentation grenades could be readily assembled. The destructive devices were not registered to defendant Gregerson in the National Firearms Registration and Transfer Record.
According to the court records, Gregerson’s social media site, as well as conversations with an undercover FBI employee, indicated his support for the Islamic State of Iraq and Levant (ISIL), a designated foreign terrorist organization and statements relating to committing violent acts.
Gregerson was arrested on Aug. 1, 2016, by FBI agents and remains in custody pending his sentencing which has been scheduled for June 30, 2017 in both cases. Gregerson faces a term of up to 10 years in federal prison for the straw purchase of the firearm.
Source: U.S. Department of Justice, Office of the United States Attorneys
