Charleston Woman Pleads Guilty to Straw Purchasing Firearm

CHARLESTON, W.Va. – Kayla Brooke McCallister, 29, of Charleston, pleaded guilty today to making a false statement during the purchase of a firearm.

According to court documents and statements made in court, on May 17, 2023, McCallister purchased a Alex Pro Firearm (APF) model Guardian 5.56mm rifle at a South Charleston business. McCallister admitted that she falsely certified on the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives (ATF) Federal Firearms Transaction Records Form 4473 that she was the buyer of the firearm when she knew she was purchasing it for someone else.

McCallister further admitted that she bought nine additional firearms at the South Charleston business and another business in Dunbar between April 24, 2023, and May 30, 2023, and falsely certified on the ATF Form 4473 during each purchase that she was the buyer when she was purchasing the firearms for someone else.

McCallister is scheduled to be sentenced on June 5, 2024, and faces a maximum penalty of five years in prison, three years of supervised release, and a $250,000 fine.

United States Attorney Will Thompson made the announcement and commended the investigative work of the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives (ATF).

United States District Judge Joseph R. Goodwin presided over the hearing. Assistant United States Attorney Lesley C. Shamblin is prosecuting the case.

A copy of this press release is located on the website of the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Southern District of West Virginia. Related court documents and information can be found on PACER by searching for Case No. 2:24-cr-38. 

###