Ohio woman pleads guilty to firearms trafficking charges

ROCHESTER, N.Y.-- U.S. Attorney William J. Hochul, Jr. announced today that Della Scott,41, of Columbus, Ohio, pleaded guilty before U.S. District Judge Charles J. Siragusa to conspiracy to engage in the business of dealing firearms without a license, and in the course of such business, to transport firearms in interstate commerce. The charge carries a maximum penalty of five years, a fine of $250,000, or both.

            Assistant U.S. Attorney Charles Moynihan, who is handling the case, stated that between July 2003 and September 2007, Scott and others purchased firearms in the Columbus, Ohio, area and then transported at least two of them to Rochester, where they were resold. Two firearms purchased by Scott in Ohio were later recovered by law enforcement following investigations into unrelated criminal incidents, which occurred in 2005 and 2007. A co-conspirator, Leroy Williams, was convicted of unrelated drug trafficking and firearms offenses in 2007 and is currently serving an eight year prison term.
 
            The plea is the culmination of an investigation on the part of on the part of Special Agents of the Bureau of Alcohol Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives under the direction of Scott Heagney, Resident Agent in Charge and the Rochester Police Department under the direction of James Sheppard.

            Sentencing is scheduled for July 19, 2013 at 3:00 p.m. before Judge Siragusa.