S. Lane Tucker, U.S. Attorney | U.S. Attorney's Office District of Alaska
An Eagle River resident, Cornelius Smith, has been sentenced to two and a half years in prison for trafficking firearms from Alaska to California. Smith will also serve three years of supervised release and complete 120 hours of community service. The firearms he purchased ended up with gang members and felons in Sacramento.
Court documents reveal that between February 2021 and April 2022, Smith, aged 34, acquired 28 firearms from private sellers and federally licensed dealers in Alaska. He was required by federal law to fill out Form 4473 for each purchase from a dealer, affirming he was the actual buyer.
In June 2021 alone, Smith bought 17 firearms from dealers in Alaska. He traveled to Sacramento shortly after, claiming he was carrying "shooting equipment." Ten days later, one firearm was recovered near Sacramento. In total, 14 of the firearms were found during criminal investigations related to attempted homicides and robberies in the area. Some guns had large capacity magazines or automatic firing capabilities; the rest remain unaccounted for.
Smith received approximately $9,000 from family members and associates in Sacramento during this period. These payments often matched the prices he paid for the weapons.
A search of Smith's home in April 2022 uncovered empty gun boxes but no firearms. Indicted on February 23, 2024, Smith was convicted on November 1 of that year on multiple counts of firearms trafficking after a jury trial.
U.S. Attorney Michael J. Heyman stated: “Mr. Smith deliberately purchased firearms in Alaska for the sole purpose of illegally trafficking them to prohibited individuals in California... Let this conviction and sentence highlight that the straw purchase of firearms... will be prosecuted.”
ATF Seattle Special Agent Jonathan Blais added: “This investigation exemplifies ATF’s commitment to aggressively pursue and disrupt the flow of firearms to criminals... His callous disregard for laws... earned him this sentence.”
The case involved several law enforcement agencies including ATF Anchorage Field Office and multiple police departments across California.
Assistant U.S. Attorneys Ainsley McNerney and Jennifer Ivers handled prosecution duties.
