A Waterville woman has been sentenced to over three years in prison for her involvement in an illegal firearm purchase. Nikeshia Knight, 25, received a 37-month prison sentence followed by three years of supervised release from U.S. District Judge John A. Woodcock, Jr., after pleading guilty on October 30, 2024.
Court records show that the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms, and Explosives (ATF) obtained an ATF Form 4473 related to a June 16, 2022 firearm purchase from a federally licensed dealer in Fairfield, Maine. The investigation revealed Knight's involvement in the transaction. During an interview, Knight admitted to using a straw purchaser because she could not pass a background check herself. She provided money and fentanyl for the purchase after it was completed successfully. Text messages between Knight and the proxy buyer confirmed her direction of the purchase.
Jason Palmer, 44, of Albion was also sentenced for his role as the straw purchaser. He received a sentence of 12 months and one day in prison followed by three years of supervised release.
The case was investigated by the ATF.
"STRAW PURCHASING: A straw purchase is an illegal firearm purchase where the actual buyer of the gun, being unable to pass the required federal background check or desiring to not have his or her name associated with the transaction, uses a proxy buyer who can pass the required background check to purchase the firearm for him/her."
