Skip to main content
U.S. flag

An official website of the United States government

Official websites use .gov
A .gov website belongs to an official government organization in the United States.

Secure .gov websites use HTTPS
A lock ( ) or https:// means you’ve safely connected to the .gov website. Share sensitive information only on official, secure websites.

DOJ seal

Department of Justice

U.S. Attorney's Office
Eastern District of Virginia
G. Zachary Terwilliger, United States Attorney
www.justice.gov/usao-edva
For Immediate Release
Friday, September 27, 2019

Woman Pleads Guilty to Straw Purchasing Firearms

ALEXANDRIA, Va. – An Alexandria woman pleaded guilty today to straw purchasing multiple firearms.

According to court documents, Joni Maria Metcalf, 34, straw purchased five firearms from federal firearm licensees on behalf of a man she was dating at the time and his friend. These individuals provided Metcalf with money and instructions on how to purchase the firearms. Police in Washington, D.C. recovered one of the illegally purchased firearms from her boyfriend’s friend, 11 days after Metcalf straw purchased the firearm.

Metcalf pleaded guilty to making false statements with respect to the purchase of firearms and faces a maximum penalty of five years in prison when sentenced on Jan. 24, 2020. Actual sentences for federal crimes are typically less than the maximum penalties. A federal district court judge will determine any sentence after taking into account the U.S. Sentencing Guidelines and other statutory factors.

G. Zachary Terwilliger, U.S. Attorney for the Eastern District of Virginia, and Ashan M. Benedict, Special Agent in Charge of the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives’ (ATF) Washington Field Division, made the announcement after U.S. District Judge Liam O’Grady accepted the plea. Assistant U.S. Attorney Nicholas U. Murphy II and Special Assistant U.S. Attorney Annie Zanobini are prosecuting 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. 1:19-cr-286.

###

ATF.gov

An official website of the U.S. Department of Justice

Looking for U.S. government information and services?
Visit USA.gov