LAS VEGAS (KTNV) — A California man has been sentenced to over five years in prison after illegally buying and attempting to buy firearms in Southern Nevada.
According to court documents, Kenneth Earl Smith Jr. bought or attempted to buy more than 50 firearms in "straw purchases" from licensed dealers in Las Vegas, Henderson, and Pahrump.
Investigators said Smith made false statements to the dealers and said he was the one buying the weapons. However, investigators state he was buying them for others. Justice Department officials said Smith also told the dealers he was a Nevada resident even though he lived in Lancaster, California.
To carry out those purchases, investigators said Smith fraudulently obtained driver's licenses and a concealed firearm permit.
According to the Justice Department, Smith pleaded guilty to eight counts of illegally acquiring a firearm and one count of engaging in the firearms business without a license. That was in June 2023.
On Monday, United States District Judge Cristina D. Silva sentenced Smith to 63 months in prison, followed by three years of supervised release.
