California Man Pleads Guilty to Illegally Possessing a Firearm

Press Release

Lonnel Diggs took photos of firearms at trade shows to instruct straw purchasers

PORTLAND, Maine: A California man pleaded guilty today in U.S. District Court in Portland to possession of a firearm by a convicted felon.

According to court records, in March 2022, Lonnel Diggs (aka "Cash," "Cashiioso Runzitup"), 40, of Van Nuys, Calif. and a co-conspirator proposed to a couple who purchased crack cocaine from Diggs that they purchase firearms in exchange for cash and crack cocaine. The couple agreed to make straw purchases and began traveling to gun shows and gun stores in Maine on the men's behalf. At one of the gun shows, Diggs took photos of firearms and texted the images to the couple, who then made the purchases and provided him with the firearms.

Diggs was convicted in California for robbery in 2003 and for assault with a dangerous weapon on a peace officer in 2010 and is therefore precluded from possessing any firearms. He faces up to 10 years imprisonment and a maximum fine of $250,000. Any sentence would be followed by up to three years of supervised release. A federal district judge will determine any sentence after considering the U.S. Sentencing Guidelines and other statutory factors.

The Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives investigated the case with assistance from the Lewiston Police Department.

STRAW PURCHASING: A straw purchase is an illegal firearm purchase where the actual buyer of the gun, being unable to pass the required federal background check or desiring to not have his or her name associated with the transaction, uses a proxy buyer who can pass the required background check to purchase the firearm for him/her.

Project Safe Neighborhoods: This case is part of Project Safe Neighborhoods (PSN), a program bringing together all levels of law enforcement and the communities they serve to reduce violent crime and gun violence, and to make our neighborhoods safer for everyone. On May 26, 2021, the Department launched a violent crime reduction strategy strengthening PSN based on these core principles: fostering trust and legitimacy in our communities, supporting community-based organizations that help prevent violence from occurring in the first place, setting focused and strategic enforcement priorities, and measuring the results. For more information about Project Safe Childhood, visit https://www.justice.gov/usao-me/psn.

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Updated August 19, 2024