Maryland Man Sentenced for Trafficking Firearms With Obliterated Serial Numbers
ALEXANDRIA, Va. – A Maryland man was sentenced today to 25 months in prison for trafficking firearms with obliterated serial numbers.
According to court documents, between September 2020 and October 2021, Chase O’Neil Pulliam, 25, purchased at least 49 firearms from federal firearms licensees throughout the Eastern District of Virginia. After purchasing the firearms, Pulliam transported the firearms across state lines to Maryland and Washington, D.C., where he re-sold the firearms to other individuals. At least two individuals who purchased firearms from Pulliam were convicted felons prohibited from possessing firearms. In furtherance of his firearms trafficking operation, an associate of Pulliam obliterated the serial numbers from approximately 35 firearms on Pulliam’s behalf.
At least eight of the firearms purchased and re-sold by Pulliam were recovered at crime scenes throughout Maryland and Washington, D.C. One of the firearms purchased and re-sold by Pulliam was recovered in connection with a domestic violence incident in Prince George’s County, Maryland. Another firearm purchased and re-sold by Pulliam was recovered during a joint federal and local narcotics investigation in the Washington, D.C.
This case is part of Project Safe Neighborhoods (PSN), which is the centerpiece of the Department of Justice’s violent crime reduction efforts. PSN is an evidence-based program proven to be effective at reducing violent crime. Through PSN, a broad spectrum of stakeholders work together to identify the most pressing violent crime problems in the community and develop comprehensive solutions to address them. As part of this strategy, PSN focuses enforcement efforts on the most violent offenders and partners with locally based prevention and reentry programs for lasting reductions in crime.
Jessica D. Aber, U.S. Attorney for the Eastern District of Virginia, and Mike Weddel, Acting Special Agent in Charge of the ATF’s Washington Field Division, made the announcement after sentencing by Senior U.S. District Judge T. S. Ellis, III.
Assistant U.S. Attorney Nicholas J. Patterson and Special Assistant U.S. Attorney Colin W. Trundle prosecuted the case.
A copy of this press release is located on the website of the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Eastern District of Virginia. Related court documents and information are located on the website of the District Court for the Eastern District of Virginia or on PACER by searching for Case No. 1:22-cr-211.
