A Statesboro woman was sentenced to nearly three years in prison after pleading guilty about lying during the purchase of multiple handguns.
According to the U.S. Attorney’s Office – Southern District of Georgia, Jacqueline Christmas, 50, of Statesboro, was sentenced to 33 months in prison in federal court in Savannah after pleading guilty to making a false statement during the purchase of a firearm.
An ATF investigation determined that Christmas and her son Jose Miguel Marrero, 27, purchased multiple handguns from a Bulloch County gun store in 2023. She falsely claimed Marrero was the buyer of the guns when they were actually purchased by and delivered in New York to Christmas’ brother-in-law.
The brother-in-law has since pled guilty to related federal firearms charges and Marrero also pled guilty to making a false statement during the purchase of a firearm.
“Illegally possessed guns, particularly those converted to automatic fire, are a persistent threat to public safety,” said Jill E. Steinberg, U.S. Attorney for the Southern District of Georgia. “With our law enforcement partners, we are committed to eliminating these sources of violence in our communities.”
The cases are prosecuted as part of Project Safe Neighborhoods in collaboration with federal, state and local law enforcement agencies, including the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives (ATF) and the FBI, to reduce violent crime with measures that include targeting convicted felons who illegally possess guns.
Also, Othnell Christian Ferguson, 27, of Pembroke was sentenced to 70 months in prison and fined $1,500 after pleading guilty to possession of a firearm by a convicted felon.
Statesboro police officers determined Ferguson possessed a pistol during a foot chase following a February 2023 traffic stop.
Christopher Jeramy Blair, 44, of Pembroke awaits sentencing after pleading guilty possession of a firearm by a convicted felon.
Acting on a tip, investigators from the Bulloch County Sheriff’s Office and Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms, and Explosives seized 11 handguns, rifles and shotguns during a search of Blair’s residence.
Under federal law, it is illegal for an individual to possess a firearm if he or she falls into one of nine prohibited categories including being a felon; illegal alien; or unlawful user of a controlled substance. Further, it is unlawful to possess a firearm in furtherance of a drug trafficking offense or violent crime. It is also illegal to purchase – or even to attempt to purchase – firearms if the buyer is a prohibited person or illegally purchasing a firearm on behalf of others.
Lying on ATF Form 4473, which is used to lawfully purchase a firearm, also is a federal offense.