NEWPORT NEWS, Va. (WAVY) — A Hampton man was sentenced on Friday, Nov. 3, to almost five years in prison after purchasing guns, under his name, and illegally selling them to others, officials said.
58-year-old John Magobet caught the attention of the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives, or ATF, for buying firearms from a local Federal Firearms Licensee, or FFL, and reselling them to people in different states with stricter gun laws, including southern New Jersey and Philadelphia.
Magobet falsely claimed on ATF forms that he was the buyer, even though an individual named “E” from New Jersey was the actual purchaser, according to the release.
He charged a $500 fee per firearm, supplying “E” with AR-15-type rifles and four Glock pistols for illegal conversion into machine guns, available for re-sell.
Magobet showed one potential buyer how to remove serial numbers. He told the buyer he wanted to be informed if someone misused the guns he sold, so he could report them as stolen for his protection, according to a release.
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