Blanchester Man Convicted Of Selling Firearms To Felon

Christopher Bradley, 38, of Blanchester, Ohio was convicted by a federal court jury in Cincinnati of two counts of selling firearms to a felon.

Carter M. Stewart, United States Attorney for the Southern District of Ohio, and Christopher J. Hyman, Acting Special Agent in Charge, Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives, Columbus Field Division (ATF), announced the guilty verdict returned by a jury following a five-day trial before U.S. District Court Judge Michael R. Barrett.

Bradley, and his brother Shannon Bradley, 36, of Leesburg, were indicted on April 4, 2012 on multiple counts of selling firearms to felons.  Shannon Bradley previously pleaded guilty to one count of selling firearms to a felon, after obtaining guns from his brother, Chris Bradley, and then selling them to an informant.

According to trial testimony, in February 2012 Chris Bradley met with the same informant, who repeatedly mentioned that he planned to resell the firearms in Cincinnati to “people that might need to use them and ditch them” and to people that were “protecting their dope houses and not getting killed.” Bradley helped the informant carry six firearms and ammunition to the informant’s car, as he told the informant to keep the guns and ammunition separated in case he were pulled over. The informant commented that officials would never find the guns and ammunition because he was a felon, while Bradley helped the informant load his car.  Bradley sold seven more guns and ammunition to the same informant two days later.

During a recorded phone call with Bradley on March 5, 2012, the informant again advised Bradley that he had one felony on his record.  Bradley then sold a total of nine more guns and ammunition to the informant on March 9 and March 21, 2012.  Testimony further revealed that Bradley sold guns at gun shows many times and would routinely asked people if they were felons.

Bradley faces a maximum sentence of 10 years in prison, 3 years of supervised release, and a fine of up to $250,000 on each count. He will be sentenced at a later date.  His brother, Shannon, also awaits sentencing.

Stewart commended the investigation by ATF agents, along with Special Assistant United States Attorney Gregory Stephens and Cincinnati Branch Chief Anthony Springer, who are prosecuting the case.