Department of Justice
For Immediate Release
Vicksburg Man Pleads Guilty to Making False Statements in an Attempt to Purchase a Firearm
Defendant Lied About His Misdemeanor Conviction for Domestic Violence
Jackson, Miss – Dvonte Amir King, 23, of Vicksburg, pleaded guilty today before Senior U.S. District Court Judge Tom S. Lee to making a false statement to a licensed firearms dealer and putting false information on an official form while attempting to purchase a firearm, announced U.S. Attorney Mike Hurst and Kirk Thielhorn, Special Agent in Charge of the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives in New Orleans.
On June 4, 2018, King attempted to purchase a firearm from a local Vicksburg retailer. King filled out and signed ATF Form 4473, the standard form for background checks. On the form, King marked that he had never been convicted of a misdemeanor crime of domestic violence, whereas in truth and in fact, he had been convicted of a misdemeanor crime of domestic violence. Approximately six months prior, on November 28, 2017, King had pled guilty to misdemeanor domestic assault in the Municipal Court of the City of Vicksburg. Persons convicted of misdemeanor crimes of domestic violence are prohibited from purchasing firearms under federal law and it is a federal offense to put false information on the firearm form.
King will be sentenced on November 19, 2020, at 9:00 a.m. by Judge Lee. He faces up to 10 years in federal prison and a $250,000 fine.
This case was investigated by the Federal Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives. It is being prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Bert Carraway.
###