Philadelphia Man Sentenced to 41 Months in Prison for Straw Purchasing Firearms

HARRISBURG - The United States Attorney's Office for the Middle District of Pennsylvania announced that Deontrae Marquis Jackson, age 35, of Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, was sentenced on October 1, 2026, to 41 months' imprisonment by United States District Judge Keli M. Neary for straw purchasing firearms.

According to United States Attorney Brian D. Miller, Jackson worked with others to purchase firearms in the names of women who had no criminal records and were lawfully allowed to buy the firearms. Then, after they got the firearms, they were sold or transferred to felons. In January to February 2021, Jackson and his fellow participants visited federal firearms licensed dealers in Lancaster and York and tried to purchase seven firearms.

When imposing sentence, Judge Neary noted that Jackson had a long criminal history involving drug trafficking and firearms offenses. Additionally, the Judge noted that Jackson fled while the case was pending. Almost two years later, the United States Marshal Service arrested him living in Oregon.

Jackson was found guilty of the conspiracy and providing false statements to federally licensed firearms dealers after a three-day bench trial. Co-defendants Alicia Butler-Sanchez and Olivia Johnson pled guilty and were sentenced in 2022 and 2023. They received probationary sentences.

The U.S. Bureau of Alcohol Tobacco Firearms and Explosives investigated the case. Assistant United States Attorney Michael A. Consiglio is prosecuting the case.

Project Safe Neighborhoods (PSN) is the Department of Justice's nationwide initiative that brings federal, state, local, and tribal law enforcement, prosecutors, and other public safety partners together to coordinate efforts to combat violent crime and make communities safe. Coordinated by U.S. Attorneys' offices in each of the 94 federal districts, PSN is tailored to particular communities to strategically address specific violent crime and public safety challenges. As a key component of Operation Take Back America, PSN serves a central role in the Department's commitment to make our country safe. PSN emphasizes three core principles: rapid federal response to violent crime and criminal offenders; strong, strategic partnerships among law enforcement at all levels; and accountability and deterrence through the prosecution of the most serious, readily provable offenses and other strategies. These efforts complement and strengthen President Trump's Homeland Security Task Forces, ensuring a comprehensive federal response to the most pressing public safety issues facing communities.

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