INDIANAPOLIS — An Indianapolis man was sentenced to 18 months in federal prison on Tuesday after pleading guilty to dealing firearms without a federal firearms license.
In August 2020, law enforcement officers in Chicago recovered firearms connected to crimes committed in Chicago, according to court documents.
Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms, and Explosives (ATF) special agents in Chicago and Indianapolis discovered the guns had been purchased by 66-year-old Stephen King, of Indianapolis, four days prior to being recovered in Chicago.
King's email account revealed that he purchased and unlawfully resold 167 firearms between April 12, 2020 and Sept. 2, 2022. King purchased 38 firearms from Federal Firearm Licensees and the remaining 129 online from private sellers.
King illegally resold around 100 of the guns within three days of purchasing them.
At the time of King's sentencing, 24 guns he bought and resold had been recovered in connection to crimes, including firearms trafficking, drug trafficking, and unlawful possession of a firearm.
Investigators found that King, who is not licensed to sell firearms and ammunition, made nearly $10,000 in profits from the sales.
"Illegal trafficking of deadly weapons drives the violence plaguing our communities. Those who choose to knowingly and unlawfully introduce firearms into the underground gun economy will be held accountable,” U.S. Attorney Zachary A. Myers said in a statement.
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King will be supervised by the U.S. Probation Office for two years following his release from prison as part of his sentence.
ATF investigated the case, which was part of the U.S. Department of Justice's Chicago Gun Trafficking Strike Force.
