A Colorado man was arrested Tuesday and charged with dealing in firearms in the District without a proper license and with the illegal transport of said guns, the Justice Department announced.
Demarco Diggs, 26, of Aurora, Colorado, purportedly transported guns illegally into D.C. in June and July of 2021. From June 2021 to March 2023, Mr. Diggs is also accused of dealing in firearms in the city despite lacking the proper license.
Part of the charges also refer to Mr. Diggs supposedly acting as a straw purchaser of guns; straw purchasing means one person acts as the buyer of an item for another person who is unwilling or unable to buy the item themselves.
The indictment against Mr. Diggs also seeks the forfeiture of over 24 guns and ammunition to match. These guns include those recovered in D.C., those taken from Mr. Diggs’ Colorado residence and those Mr. Diggs had advertised for sale.
The Justice Department alleges that at least one gun recovered has been linked to a D.C. area shooting and to Mr. Diggs as the purported straw purchaser.
“This office, along with our law enforcement partners, will use every legal tool at our disposal to combat straw purchasing and choke off the dangerous flow of illegal guns into our city. The message should be clear: unlawfully buying a gun for a prohibited person is a serious federal offense,” U.S. Attorney for the District of Columbia Matthew Graves said in a statement.
If found guilty, Mr. Diggs faces up to five years in prison on both the dealing in guns without a license and the illegal transport of guns charges. Mr. Diggs is accused of transporting and selling dozens of pieces — the Justice Department did not specify how many counts of each charge Mr. Diggs faces.
• Brad Matthews can be reached at bmatthews@washingtontimes.com.
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