Seattle – Three Seattle area residents have been indicted by a grand jury following a federal investigation of illegal firearms purchases.

The arrests highlight the Department of Justice focus on combatting gun crime under Project Guardian. One of the goals is to increase prosecution of so-called “lie and buy” cases where the purchaser is obtaining a firearm for a prohibited person.

Earlier this month, a grand jury returned a ten-count indictment charging 40-year-old SHANNON McCALL of Seattle and her son, LEONTAI BERRY, with conspiracy to purchase firearms in violation of federal law.

Between 2017 and 2019, McCALL repeatedly lied on firearms purchasing forms claiming that five different firearms were for her personal use. In fact, McCALL purchased the firearms on behalf of BERRY, now 20-years-old, but at the time was under the legal age to purchase guns.

Records filed in the case say BERRY converted some of the guns to machine guns, and some of the illegally purchased firearms are linked to gang-related shootings and possession by felons.