WILMINGTON, Del. (AP) - A five-time felon is facing up to 20 years in federal prison after pleading guilty to illegally obtaining and possessing a gun.
Charles L. Blackshear, 35, pleaded guilty Wednesday to one count of illegal possession of a firearm and one count of aiding and abetting the illegal purchase of a firearm. Prosecutors agreed to drop a second count of illegal gun possession.
Blackshear is prohibited from having a gun because of felony convictions in 2005, 2008 and 2014.
Federal agents filed a complaint against Blackshear last June alleging that he had enlisted a female companion for the straw purchase of a .40 caliber handgun in April 2017 from a sporting goods store in Newark. Authorities began their investigation after the woman falsely reported five months after the illegal purchase that the gun had been stolen.
Five weeks after federal agents filed their straw purchase complaint, Blackshear was stopped by an Elsmere police officer for a turn signal violation. Authorities said the officer found cocaine, marijuana and the illegally purchased handgun.
Blackshear was charged with state drug and weapons offenses before being turned over to federal authorities.
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