Twin Cities woman pleads guilty to 'straw purchase' of nearly 100 guns for black-market buyers

A woman who purchased nearly 100 guns for black-market buyers pleaded guilty this week to one federal charge.

As part of a plea deal, Sarah Jean Elwood, 34, of Crystal admitted to buying 97 guns over the course of a year - including 62 in a single month - from gun shops across the Twin Cities, and then reselling them to third parties for $100 each.

This process, known as "straw purchasing," is a significant driver of the illegal gun market that is arming criminals and driving violent crime in Minneapolis and St. Paul. In a typical straw purchase, the buyer has no felony conviction or other factor disqualifying them from owning a firearm. But they are really buying the weapon for someone else, who's either legally ineligible or doesn't want a paper trail linking them to the weapon.

https://www.startribune.com/twin-cities-woman-pleads-guilty-to-straw-purchase-of-nearly-100-guns-for-black-market-buyers/600131130/