Rockford Woman Sentenced to Federal Prison for “Straw Purchasing” Firearms

ROCKFORD — A Rockford woman has been sentenced to federal prison for "straw purchasing” multiple firearms for a convicted felon whom she knew could not legally purchase the guns.

U.S. District Judge Philip G. Reinhard on Wednesday sentenced FELICYA KNOX, 31, to five months in federal prison and seven months of home confinement.

Knox pleaded guilty last year to federal charges of misrepresenting to federally licensed firearms dealers that she was the actual transferee/buyer of three firearms, when, in fact, she was not the actual transferee/buyer of the firearms.  In a written plea agreement, Knox admitted that on multiple dates she knowingly made false and fictitious written statements to the firearms dealers, and later transferred the guns to a known felon whom Knox knew could not legally purchase or possess them.

The sentence was announced by Morris Pasqual, Acting United States Attorney for the Northern District of Illinois, and Christopher Amon, Acting Special Agent-in-Charge of the Chicago Field Division of the U.S. Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms & Explosives.  The Freeport Police Department and Stephenson County Sheriff’s Department assisted in the investigation.  The government was represented by Assistant U.S. Attorney Jessica Maveus.

Disrupting illegal firearms trafficking is the focus of the Department of Justice’s Chicago Firearms Trafficking Strike Force.  As part of the strike force, the U.S. Attorney’s Office collaborates with ATF and other federal, state, and local law enforcement partners in the Northern District of Illinois and across the country to help stem the supply of illegally trafficked firearms and identify patterns, leads, and potential suspects in violent gun crimes.

Holding firearm offenders accountable through federal prosecution is also a centerpiece of Project Safe Neighborhoods.  In the Northern District of Illinois, the U.S. Attorney's Office and law enforcement partners have deployed the PSN program to attack a broad range of violent crime issues facing the district, particularly firearm offenses.