North Carolina man sentenced in ‘gun pipeline’ scheme

RALEIGH, N.C. (AP) — A North Carolina man accused of running a “gun pipeline” that furnished firearms to dozens of buyers in other states was sentenced to prison Tuesday, according to the U.S. Justice Department.

William John Shaw Jr., 37, was sentenced to two and a half years in prison on eight counts of making false statements while purchasing firearms, the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Eastern District of North Carolina announced in a statement.

The Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives began investigating after police recovered guns in Washington, D.C., and Maryland, some of which had been used in crimes, officials said.

Federal agents traced the weapons back to Shaw and determined the former grocery store manager knowingly made false statements about who would own the weapons when he bought them at stores and pawn shops around Wake County and Johnston County, according to the statement.

Prosecutors alleged that Shaw sold a total of 30 to 40 guns to buyers in other states from 2013 to 2019, after having written in federal documents that he was not acquiring the firearms on behalf other people.

They firearms were mostly handguns, and included multiple Glocks and at least one Ruger, The News & Observer reported, citing court documents.