BECKLEY, W.Va. – Lakeshia Nicole Simon, 23, and Tyana Bly, also known as “Biggie,” 22, both of Beckley, each pleaded guilty today to straw purchasing roles in a conspiracy to traffic over 130 firearms from the Beckley area to Philadelphia.
According to court documents and statements made in court, Simon and Bly each admitted to straw purchasing firearms in Beckley for Bisheem Jones, also known as “Bosh.” Jones provided Bly with money to buy the firearms and told her which ones to buy, and did the same with Simon through an intermediary.
Simon admitted to purchasing two Ruger Model Ruger 57, 5.7x28mm 5.7-caliber pistols for Jones on April 20, 2021. Simon further admitted to buying at least three additional firearms for Jones in April 2021 so he and others could transport and resell them outside of West Virginia.
Bly admitted to buying two SCCY CPX-2 9mm pistols and a Taurus G3C 9mm pistol for Jones in Beckley on April 2, 2021. Bly further admitted to purchasing at least five firearms for Jones in March and April 2021 so he and others could transport and resell them outside of West Virginia.
Simon and Bly pleaded guilty to making false statements in acquisition of firearms, admitting they falsely certified on the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives (ATF) Federal Firearms Transaction Records Form 4473 that they were the buyers of the firearms while knowing they were purchasing the firearms for someone else.
Simon and Bly are among 13 individuals indicted in connection with their roles in a conspiracy to traffic over 130 firearms from the Beckley area to Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. More than 40 of the firearms have been recovered in Philadelphia and have been connected to two homicides, crimes of domestic violence, and other violent crimes.
Stephanie Cohernour, Arileah Lacy, and Terri Lawhorn previously admitted to making straw purchases in the conspiracy, pleading guilty to making false statements in acquisition of firearms. Co-defendant Derrick Woodard pleaded guilty to interstate travel with the intent to engage in dealing firearms without a license. The case remains pending against Jones and five other co-defendants. An indictment is merely an allegation and all defendants are presumed innocent until proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt in a court of law.
Simon is scheduled to be sentenced on December 2, 2022, and Bly is scheduled to be sentenced on November 10, 2022. Each faces a maximum penalty of five years in prison, three years of supervised release, and a $250,000 fine.
United States Attorney Will Thompson made the announcement and commended the ATF’s investigative work.
United States District Judge Frank W. Volk presided over the hearings. Assistant United States Attorney Negar M. Kordestani is prosecuting the case.
This case is part of Project Safe Neighborhoods (PSN), 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.
A copy of this press release is located on the website of the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Southern District of West Virginia. Related court documents and information can be found on PACER by searching for Case No. 5:22-cr-46.
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