Six Cincinnatians charged in fraudulent gun purchases from Colerain store, prosecutor says

Six people were indicted in federal court Wednesday on charges related to straw purchasing firearms from a Colerain Township retailer using stolen credit card information.

All six defendants are Cincinnati residents, according to prosecutors.

The defendants include Zachary Harris, 24, Rickvuion "Cubb" Scott, 25, Teague Jackson, 22, Edward Washington, 27, Montreal Williams, 37, and Markendra Carter, 35.

According to the federal prosecutor's office for the Southern District of Ohio, Harris and Scott placed online orders for multiple firearms from Range USA Cincy West and at times, used stolen credit card information.

Prosecutors added that other members of the conspiracy would then pick up the firearms from the retailer on Harrison Avenue and falsely claim they were the true purchasers and not obtaining the firearms for anyone else.

The coconspirators obtained six pistols and one rifle through the illegal straw purchases, prosecutors said.

Both Williams and Carter remain at large, prosecutors say. Harris, Scott, Jackson and Washington appeared in federal court in Cincinnati this week.

The Cincinnati Enquirer reached out to the defendants' attorneys for comment.

Paul Laufman, co-counsel with Nick Klingensmith for Jackson, said in an email, "Nick (Klingensmith) and I just began working on the case and don’t know enough about the allegations to comment intelligently other than to remind anyone who considers the matter than an indictment is merely allegations and the full and fair defense of any case often reveals that matters are not as they were originally alleged."

The other defendants' defense attorneys have yet to respond.

Conspiring to make false statements during the purchase of a firearm is punishable by up to five years in prison. Additionally, making false statements during the purchase of a firearm and credit card fraud are punishable by up to 10 years in prison.

Aggravated identity theft carries a mandatory two years in prison.

This article originally appeared on Cincinnati Enquirer: Cincinnati group charged with conspiring to fraudulently buy guns