The United States Attorney’s Office for the Middle District of Pennsylvania announced today that Thomas Joseph Tigue, age 49, of Dupont, Pennsylvania, was sentenced by United States District Court Judge Edwin M. Kosik to one year of imprisonment for making false statements to a Federal gun dealer in connection with his purchase of a firearm.

     According to United States Attorney Peter J. Smith the charges against Tigue stem from the Federal Bureau of Investigation’s seizure of a loaded 9mm pistol and heroin during the execution of a search warrant at the home of Marcus Holder in Nanticoke, Pennsylvania. A trace of the firearm identified Thomas Tigue as the purchaser of the weapon.

     The investigation further proved that Tigue was addicted to crack cocaine at the time he purchased the gun and that he bought it for Marcus Holder, a drug trafficker. Under federal law, it is unlawful for illegal drug users to possess or purchase firearms. Moreover, in purchasing a firearm from a licenced gun dealer, with limited exceptions, the actual buyer is required to complete certain paperwork to allow gun dealers to complete necessary background checks, to insure the lawfulness of the sale and to maintain appropriate records as to the disposition of the firearms. Tigue violated these important gun laws in acting as a straw-party purchaser and lying to the gun dealer during the gun transaction.

     In addition to the sentence of imprisonment, Judge Kosik further ordered Tigue to be supervised by a Probation Officer for three years after serving his jail term.

     Assistant U.S. Attorney John Gurganus prosecuted the case.

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