Department of Justice
For Immediate Release
Former Boston Police Officer Sentenced in Connection with Straw Purchases of Firearms
BOSTON – A former Boston Police Officer was sentenced today in federal court in Boston with illegally purchasing two firearms on behalf of acquaintances.
Adarbaad Karani, 38, of West Roxbury, was sentenced by U.S. Senior District Court Judge Rya W. Zobel to three months in prison and one year of supervised release. In September 2018, Karani was convicted following a five-day jury trial of two counts of making a false statement during the purchase of firearms and two counts of making a false statement in a record.
On two different occasions, in November 2014 and September 2015, Karani acted as the “straw purchaser” of two firearms, a Glock, model 27, .40 caliber pistol and a Glock, model 30S, .45 caliber pistol, which he purchased for two acquaintances. Karani purchased the firearms, which cannot be acquired by civilians, using his police identification and falsely certified that the firearms were for his official police use. During one purchase, Karani also indicated that the firearm was not for resale. One of the firearms that Karani purchased was subsequently stolen from the person on whose behalf Karani bought the gun. The firearm was recovered by law enforcement during the arrest of Desmond Crawford, an alleged member of the Columbia Point Dawgs.
Straw purchases interfere with firearm regulation and recordkeeping, and federal law prohibits making false statements to a firearms dealer in connection with the sale of a firearm.
United States Attorney Andrew E. Lelling; Kelly Brady, Special Agent in Charge of the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms & Explosives, Boston Field Division; and Boston Police Commissioner William Gross made the announcement today. Assistant U.S. Attorney Eugenia M. Carris of Lelling’s Public Corruption & Special Prosecutions Unit prosecuted the case.
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