Felon who Used Straw Purchaser to Buy Firearm Sentenced to over Six Years in Federal Prison

DOJ Press

A man who used a straw purchaser to obtain a firearm was sentenced today to more than 6 years in federal prison.

Dejswah Shaquawn Sibley, age 27, from Chicago, Illinois, received the prison term after a November 19, 2021 guilty plea to being a felon in possession of a firearm.

At the guilty plea, Sibley admitted to possessing a Glock 9mm pistol while he was prohibited due to felony convictions for theft, residential burglary, and possession of a controlled substance.  At sentencing, the evidence showed that Sibley used a straw purchaser to obtain a Glock 9mm pistol.  On December 2, 2020, Sibley was driving in Marion, Iowa, when he was pulled over for speeding.  The vehicle smelled of marijuana and law enforcement found the pistol inside the car, loaded with a 17-round magazine.  Sibley later asked the straw purchaser to claim ownership of the firearm for him.  At sentencing, the judge stated that Sibley, “persuaded another person to commit a federal offense and attempted to obstruct the investigation.”  


Sibley was sentenced in Cedar Rapids by United States District Court Judge C.J. Williams.  Sibley was sentenced to 77 months’ imprisonment and fined $100.  He must also serve a three-year term of supervised release after the prison term.  There is no parole in the federal system.

This case was brought as part of Project Safe Neighborhoods (PSN).  PSN 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.

Sibley is being held in the United States Marshal’s custody until he can be transported to a federal prison.

The case was prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Liz Dupuich and investigated by the Marion Police Department. 

Court file information at https://ecf.iand.uscourts.gov/cgi-bin/login.pl

The case file number is 21-CR-20.

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