A Sacramento man was charged with illegal gun sales after a gang member in Elk Grove was found carrying a handgun purchased from him, authorities say.
Dejon Andrade, 27, is on probation for a misdemeanor conviction and not allowed to buy guns in California, but traveled to Reno and provided a fake address to buy firearms, the U.S. Department of Justice said.
Andrade allegedly bought guns from a Reno gun store several times between November and January, and gave the shop the address of a high school friend who lives in Las Vegas.
In reality, Andrade was living in the Pocket area of Sacramento with a backpack of guns under his bed, according to a federal court document. Authorities found a number of text message conversations on his phone between Andrade and potential gun buyers, the court complaint states.
And on Feb. 11, a gang member arrested after a pursuit in Elk Grove and was found to be carrying a Ruger P94 .40-caliber pistol purchased from Andrade, the Department of Justice stated.
Andrade told police he sold some of his guns "at a garage sale in Elk Grove," according to court documents.
“The individuals who illegally buy and sell firearms across state lines to arm dangerous gangsters are just as responsible for the violent crimes committed by the criminals as those who pull the triggers on these ill-gotten weapons,” Joseph Riehl, the Special Agent in Charge of the San Francisco office of the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives.
Andrade faces a maximum sentence of 10 years in prison.
The court complaint against Andrade is attached to this article as a PDF.
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