ERIE — A resident of Bradford has been indicted by a federal grand jury in Erie on charges of violating federal firearms laws, United States Attorney Scott W. Brady announced on Wednesday.
The seven-count indictment named Tony Joe McCormick, 32, as the sole defendant. According to the indictment presented to the court, McCormick made false statements during the purchase of eight firearms over a seven-month period, from March 6, 2019 to September 22, 2019. McCormick presented himself as the purchaser of the firearms when, in reality, he was conducting “straw purchases” by purchasing the guns under his name and then delivering them to a third party.
The law provides for a maximum total sentence of 70 years in prison, a fine of $1,750,000, or both. Under the Federal Sentencing Guidelines, the actual sentence imposed would be based upon the seriousness of the offenses and the prior criminal history, if any, of the defendant.
Assistant United States Attorney Paul S. Sellers is prosecuting this case on behalf of the government.
The Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives and the Bradford Police Department conducted the investigation leading to the indictment in this case. An indictment is an accusation. A defendant is presumed innocent unless and until proven guilty.
