Two Maryland residents charged with illegal gun trafficking

MARTINSBURG, WEST VIRGINIA – A federal grand jury has returned an indictment charging Jarrud Michael Dixon, 26, of New Market, Maryland, and Robert Sales, 32, of Mt. Airy, Maryland, with unlawful firearms trafficking, United States Attorney William J. Ihlenfeld, II, announced.

An investigation by the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives revealed that Dixon and Sales conspired with a licensed firearms dealer in Pocahontas County, West Virginia to unlawfully transport firearms across state lines. The firearms dealer was prohibited from transporting firearms across state lines except for sales to certain authorized individuals. Throughout 2013 and 2014, Dixon and Sales are alleged to have repeatedly unlawfully transferred firearms from West Virginia into Maryland. The defendants falsely reported that Dixon’s girlfriend was the intended recipient of the firearms because she had a West Virginia ID card. In fact, Maryland residents Dixon and Sales were the true purchasers of the firearms.

"This investigation was partnership between ATF offices in West Virginia, Baltimore, and the Baltimore Police Department," said Stuart Lowrey, ATF Special Agent in Charge of the Louisville Field Division, which covers West Virginia and Kentucky. "Illegal gun trafficking has direct and devastating results on our communities, as is obvious from the number of firearms in this case that have already been recovered in crimes. The public entrusts Federal Firearms Licensees with significant responsibility for preventing firearms trafficking, and ATF will aggressively pursue those who breach that trust."
 
Dixon and Sales are each charged with one count of “Conspiracy to Illegally Traffic Firearms.” They each face up to five years in prison and a fine of up to $250,000. Under the Federal Sentencing Guidelines, the actual sentence imposed will be based upon the seriousness of the offenses and the prior criminal history, if any, of the defendants.

Assistant U.S. Attorney Stephen Warner is prosecuting the case on behalf of the government.

An indictment is merely an accusation. A defendant is presumed innocent unless and until proven guilty.