Description: Charlotte, North Carolina criminal defense lawyer represented the Defendant charged with conspiracy to sell firearms without a license and to transport to New York firearms unlawfully obtained in North Carolina.

Keyuon Divine Cannie, 24, Trashawn Tavaris Edward Coleman, 23, Daquan Collins, 29, and Lamar Moore, 25, all of Charlotte, with conspiracy to engage in the business of dealing in firearms without a license, and to illegally sell, transfer, trade and transport firearms out-of-state. Coleman is also charged with two counts of straw purchasing a firearm and two counts of making a false statement during the purchase of a firearm. Moore is also charged with one count of making a false statement during the purchase of a firearm and one count of transferring a firearm to a prohibited person. Cannie is charged with two additional counts of possession of a firearm by a felon.

According to allegations contained in the charging document, between July 1 and July 23, 2022, the defendants conspired with each other to purchase firearms in North Carolina, for the purpose of transporting and selling the firearms for profit to individuals in New York.

According to allegations in the indictment, on July 8, and on July 12, 2022, Coleman engaged in the straw purchasing of a firearm, by falsely purchasing two firearms on behalf of Cannie, knowing that Cannie intended to illegally sell the firearms. The indictment further alleges that, when he purchased the firearms from a federal firearms licensee, Coleman made false statements on the federal form required to obtain a firearm, falsely attesting that he was the actual buyer/transferee of the firearms, knowing that he was not.

The indictment also alleges that on February 8, 2022, Moore purchased a firearm from a federally licensed firearms dealer. In purchasing the firearm, the indictment alleges that Moore made a false statement on the required federal form, falsely attesting that Moore was the transferee/buyer of the firearm, when in fact Moore knew he was not. The indictment also alleges that, on the same day, Moore transferred the firearm to another person, knowing the that the person had been previously convicted of a crime and was therefore not permitted to own or possess a firearm.

The indictment alleges that between February 8 and March 10, 2022, and on July 12, 2022, Cannie illegally possessed one or more firearms, knowing he had previously been convicted of at least one crime punishable by imprisonment for a term exceeding a year.

The charges are allegations and the defendants are presumed innocent unless and until proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt in a court of law.

The conspiracy charge carries a maximum penalty of five years in prison. The charge of making a false statement during the purchase of a firearm carries a maximum penalty of 10 years in prison. Each straw purchasing of a firearm charge carries a statutory penalty of 25 years in prison, and the maximum penalty for the charge of possession of a firearm by a felon is 15 years in prison.

Assistant U.S. Attorney Regina Pack of the U.S. Attorney’s Office in Charlotte is prosecuting the case.

This case is prosecuted under the new criminal provisions of the Bipartisan Safer Communities Act, which Congress enacted and the President signed in June 2022. The Act is the first federal statute specifically designed to target the unlawful trafficking and straw-purchasing of firearms. For more information on the lawful purchasing of firearms, please see: https://www.atf.gov/qa-category/atf-form-4473.

This case is also part of Project Safe Neighborhoods (PSN), a program bringing together all levels of law enforcement and the communities they serve to reduce violent crime and gun violence, and to make our neighborhoods safer for everyone. On May 26, 2021, the Department launched a violent crime reduction strategy strengthening PSN based on these core principles: fostering trust and legitimacy in our communities, supporting community-based organizations that help prevent violence from occurring in the first place, setting focused and strategic enforcement priorities, and measuring the results.


18:922(g)(1) - POSSESSION OF A FIREARM BY A FELON
(1)
18:922(g)(1) - POSSESSION OF A FIREARM BY A FELON
(3s)
18:371 - CONSPIRACY TO COMMIT OFFENSES THE UNITED STATES
(4s)
18:922(g)(1) - POSSESSION OF A FIREARM BY A FELON
(9s)

Outcome: An indictment is not proof of guilt.

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Defendant's Experts:

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