HARRISBURG – The United States Attorney’s Office for the Middle District of Pennsylvania announced that Taashaun Mansfield, age 23, of Harrisburg, Pennsylvania, was sentenced today to 37 months’ imprisonment by United States District Court Judge Jennifer P. Wilson for straw purchasing firearms for prohibited individuals.
According to United States Attorney John C. Gurganus, Mansfield pleaded guilty to conspiring with three other individuals to purchase firearms for felons and individuals under indictment. In 2020, Mansfield purchased seven firearms and transferred them to his codefendants because they were prohibited from possessing firearms. Six of the firearms were recovered during the investigation, but a seventh firearm has not been located.
Co-defendant Michael Windham, age 20, of Harrisburg, previously pleaded guilty to conspiring to straw purchase firearms and possessing a firearm while under indictment. Antonio Godbolt age 34, of Harrisburg, also previously pleaded guilty to conspiring to straw purchase firearms and possessing a firearm as a previously convicted felon. Both are awaiting sentencing. A third co-defendant, Johnny Quinones, age 34, of Harrisburg, is awaiting trial on charges of making a false statement to obtain a firearm, conspiring to straw purchase guns, and possessing a gun and ammunition as a felon.
The Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives investigated this case in conjunction with the Harrisburg Bureau of Police. Assistant U.S. Attorney Michael A. Consiglio is prosecuting the case.
This case is being prosecuted as part of the joint federal, state, and local Project Safe Neighborhoods (PSN) Program, 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.”
All persons charged are presumed to be innocent unless and until found guilty in court.
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