Two Missouri men indicted for firearm sales without a federal license

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Two Missouri men have been indicted in separate cases for dealing firearms without a license, according to federal grand jury indictments returned this week.

Aubrey Foxworthy, 81, of California, Missouri, was charged with dealing firearms without a federal license in Morgan and Moniteau counties between June 2, 2023, and Sept. 9, 2024. Foxworthy was also charged with possession of an unregistered firearm. Prosecutors allege he possessed a rifle with a barrel length shorter than 16 inches that was not registered in the National Firearms Registration and Transfer Record.

Philip Leroy Rains, 75, of Poplar Bluff, Missouri, was charged in a separate case with dealing firearms without a federal license. According to the indictment, Rains allegedly sold firearms in Morgan County from April 1, 2023, through April 4, 2024.

If convicted of dealing firearms without a license, each defendant could face up to five years in federal prison and a fine of up to $250,000. If convicted of possessing an unregistered firearm, the penalty could include up to 10 years in prison and a fine of up to $10,000. Sentencing decisions will be made by the court following a presentence investigation conducted by the United States Probation Office.

These cases are being prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney Aaron M. Maness. The investigations were conducted by the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives, the Jefferson City Police Department, and the Boone County Sheriff’s Office.


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