A convicted felon has been sentenced to 20 months in prison followed by three years of supervised release for his role in an illegal firearm straw purchasing conspiracy, announced United States Attorney Andrew Luger last week.
Court documents say Donald Duane Armstrong, Jr., 36, of Walker, Minn., and a co-conspirator entered a licensed firearms dealer in Walker in May 2023, where the co-conspirator purchased a Glock handgun with the intention of transferring the firearm to Armstrong, who is a felon prohibited from possessing firearms.
Armstrong’s prior felony convictions include aiding and abetting a drive-by shooting, third-degree controlled substance sales, fleeing police in a motor vehicle, offering a forged check, and theft, according to court records.
In the process of purchasing the firearm, the co-conspirator lied when filling out the ATF Form 4473, which certifies that he was the actual buyer/transferee of the firearm, when in fact the firearm was intended for Armstrong.
In June 2023, law enforcement executed a search warrant at Armstrong’s residence, during which they seized 14 firearms, including the firearm purchased by the co-conspirator in May 2023.
In addition to the firearms, controlled substances found during the warrant execution at Armstrong’s residence included over 22 grams of heroin and over 15 grams of cocaine. A corresponding state court case in which Armstrong was charged with 16 felony counts related to illegal gun possession and narcotics violations was dismissed by Cass County prosecutors late last year.
Armstrong pleaded guilty in federal court in April of this year to one count of making a false statement during the purchase of a firearm. He was sentenced last week in U.S. District Court by Judge Nancy E. Brasel.
The case was the result of an investigation conducted by the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives and the Minnesota Bureau of Criminal Apprehension, with assistance from the Paul Bunyan Drug Task Force and the Cass County Sheriff’s Office.
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Minnesota Crime Watch & Information publishes news, info and commentary about crime, public safety and livability issues in Minneapolis, the Twin Cities and Greater Minnesota.
Crime Watch MN
Minnesota Crime Watch & Information publishes news, info and commentary about crime, public safety and livability issues in Minneapolis, the Twin Cities and Greater Minnesota.
