ALEXANDRIA, Va. - A Fredericksburg couple pleaded guilty late yesterday to straw purchasing firearms and unlawful possession of a firearm by an individual previously convicted of a misdemeanor crime of domestic violence.
“Every straw purchased firearm is a gun that can wind up in the hands of a prohibited person," said G. Zachary Terwilliger, U.S. Attorney for the Eastern District of Virginia. “We will continue to use federal firearms laws to prosecute straw purchasers and hold them accountable for their role in trafficking illegally purchased firearms. I want to commend the ATF for their commitment to investigating these important cases."
According to court documents, Tina Marie Cochran, 41, straw purchased several firearms on behalf of Brant Wilson Shorden, 43, who was prohibited from possessing or purchasing firearms as a result of three prior convictions of misdemeanor domestic violence here in Virginia. Following the purchase of these firearms, Shorden posted pictures and videos of himself and Cochran shooting and brandishing the firearms at their residence in Fredericksburg.
Shorden pleaded guilty to possessing firearms following a conviction of a misdemeanor crime of domestic violence and faces a maximum penalty of 10 years in prison. Cochran pleaded guilty to making false statements with respect to the purchase of firearms and faces a maximum penalty of 5 years in prison. Both will be sentenced on September 6. Actual sentences for federal crimes are typically less than the maximum penalties. A federal district court judge will determine any sentence after taking into account the U.S. Sentencing Guidelines and other statutory factors.
This case is part of Project Safe Neighborhoods (PSN), which is the centerpiece of the Department of Justice’s violent crime reduction efforts. PSN is an evidence-based program proven to be effective at reducing violent crime. Through PSN, a broad spectrum of stakeholders work together to identify the most pressing violent crime problems in the community and develop comprehensive solutions to address them. As part of this strategy, PSN focuses enforcement efforts on the most violent offenders and partners with locally based prevention and reentry programs for lasting reductions in crime.
G. Zachary Terwilliger, U.S. Attorney for the Eastern District of Virginia, and Ashan M. Benedict, Special Agent in Charge of the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives’ (ATF) Washington Field Division, made the announcement after Senior U.S. District Judge T.S. Ellis III accepted the plea. Assistant U.S. Attorney Nicholas U. Murphy II is prosecuting the case.
A copy of this press release is located on the website of the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Eastern District of Virginia. Related court documents and information are located on the website of the District Court for the Eastern District of Virginia or on PACER by searching for Case No. 1:19-cr-138.
Source: U.S. Department of Justice, Office of the United States Attorneys
