A Pittsburgh man has been charged with acting as a straw buyer in the purchase of dozens of guns across the region because he “needed money,” according to federal agents.
Donald Ware Jr., 22, who has several addresses around the city, was in federal court Tuesday afternoon on a complaint filed by the U.S. Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives.
Agents said Mr. Ware bought 34 guns for others at numerous firearms dealers in the Pittsburgh region and admitted he lied on firearms purchase forms that he was the actual buyer.
It’s not clear for whom he was buying, but typically straw buyers purchase weapons for criminals who can’t have one.
Marc Wilner, an ATF agent, said in an affidavit that he began investigating Mr. Ware in October after noticing that he was buying a lot of guns, didn’t have much income from a job and was associated with another accused gun trafficker, John Louis Moon.
Agents interviewed Mr. Ware in November, and he told them he’d been buying guns for other people and lying about it. Most of the guns were Glock semi-automatics bought at Dunham’s stores in the North Hills, Monroeville and Homestead, Island Firearms in McKees Rocks, Pete’s Firearms in Westmoreland County and other area dealers.
He bought 34 guns in all, ATF said.
Source: Pittsburgh man charged with illegally purchasing 34 guns | Pittsburgh Post-Gazette
