A South Carolina man who participated in the sale of 17 firearms, including five assault rifles, today admitted his role in a scheme to illegally sell weapons in New Jersey, U.S. Attorney Craig Carpenito announced.
According to reports, Richard Lowman, 30, pleaded guilty before U.S. District Court Judge Claire C. Cecchi in Newark federal court to an information charging him with one count of conspiracy to engage in the unlicensed business of dealing in firearms.
According to documents filed in this case and statements made in court:
Officials say that on six different dates between May 2017 and September 2017, Lowman – sometimes accompanied by his uncle, Reginald Moultrie – met with an individual in Newark for the purpose of selling firearms.
Reports say that Lowman personally participated in the sale of an assault rifle on a Newark street in May 2017. During a later transaction in August 2017, Lowman traveledd from South Carolina to New Jersey and transported multiple firearms across state lines.
Ultimately, six firearms were sold inside a residence in Newark on that occasion, officials say.
According to officials, seventeen firearms, including five assault rifles, were illegally sold by Lowman and Moultrie over five months. Neither Lowman nor Moultrie had a license to sell firearms.
Moultrie previously pleaded guilty to possession of a firearm after having been convicted of a felony and is currently awaiting sentencing, reports say.
The charge of conspiracy to engage in unlicensed dealing of firearms carries a maximum penalty of five years in prison and a $250,000 fine. Sentencing is scheduled for Nov. 5.