Howard Ozell Crenshaw, a Minneapolis resident, has admitted his guilt in unlawfully possessing stolen firearms with the intent to sell them, according to a statement by Acting U.S. Attorney Lisa D. Kirkpatrick.
Court documents reveal that an undercover law enforcement officer contacted Crenshaw on December 2, 2022, to inquire about purchasing firearms. Crenshaw, 34, claimed he had an AR-15 rifle and two Berretta handguns for sale at $2,600. They arranged to meet on December 13, 2022, for the transaction.
On the meeting day, the officer agreed to buy an additional shotgun for $500. During the meeting, Crenshaw directed the officer to another location, saying the firearms were hidden in a residential trash can. The officer retrieved the weapons and paid Crenshaw $2,600. Later, Crenshaw collected an additional $500, left by the officer in the same trash can.
The firearms sold were a Benelli M1 Super 90 12-gauge shotgun, an Armalite .223 AR-15 rifle, and two Beretta model M9 nine-millimeter handguns. A records check confirmed they were stolen from a burglary that occurred on November 19, 2022, in St. Paul.
Having four prior felony convictions, including Drug Sale – 1st Degree, Crenshaw is banned from possessing firearms or ammunition federally.
"Crenshaw is a four-time convicted felon and drug dealer who decided to sell stolen firearms," said Kirkpatrick. "I am proud of the excellent work of our federal partners at ATF to take yet another dangerous criminal off the streets."
Crenshaw pleaded guilty to one count of illegal possession of firearms as a felon in U.S. District Court before Judge Susan R. Nelson. His sentencing is set for August 5, 2025.
The Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms, and Explosives led the investigation, and Assistant U.S. Attorney Jordan L. Sing is handling the prosecution.
