HARRISBURG, Pa. — Four Harrisburg men have been indicted on weapons charges by a federal grand jury, according to U.S. Attorney David J. Freed.
Taashaun Mansfield, 22, Johnny Quinones, 27, Michael Windham, 20, and Antonio Godbolt, 34, are accused of conspiring to buy firearms by falsifying records to indicate that Mansfield was the true purchaser of each weapon.
The guns were then transferred to Quinones and Godbolt, who are convicted felons, or Windham, who has charges pending, Freed said.
Mansfield allegedly made false statements to federally licensed firearms dealers to buy the guns under false pretenses, Freed said in a press release.
“At this precise moment of increased gun violence in the city of Harrisburg, our strong partnerships between federal, state and local law enforcement have never been more important,” said Freed. “Collectively, we will not waver from our mission of taking illegal guns off the streets and prosecuting those who involved in their purchase and trafficking.”
“ATF has a zero-tolerance policy for straw purchasers who acquire firearms from a federal firearms licensee for someone who is either ineligible to purchase a firearm or wishes to conceal his/her identity,” said Matthew Varisco, Special Agent in Charge of ATF’s Philadelphia Field Division. “ATF remains committed to removing those offenders who put these guns in the hands of criminals. We will continue to work with our partners at all levels to make our communities safer.”
The case was investigated by the U.S. Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives and the Harrisburg Police Department. Assistant U.S. Attorney Michael Consiglio is prosecuting the case.
