HARRISBURG – Attorney General Josh Shapiro today announced the arrest of four individuals for firearm offenses, as well as the seizure of 19 guns, some of which were straw purchased, following a joint surveillance operation with the Monroeville Police Department at the Pittsburgh Gun Show in Monroeville, Pa. The seizures and arrests took place over the weekend of February 6-7, 2021.
“Straw purchases are fueling the gun violence epidemic that takes the lives of Pennsylvanians every single day,” said Attorney General Josh Shapiro. “The Office of Attorney General’s Gun Violence Section, along with our local law enforcement partners, are working overtime to target these gun traffickers and get illegal guns off our streets.”
David Fields, Tanesha Olverson, Robert Raglin and Elizabeth Rexrode were each arrested at the Pittsburgh Gun Show for their roles in the illegal straw purchases of firearms. Fields is prohibited from purchasing a firearm, and Raglin, a convicted felon, is prohibited from purchasing or possessing a firearm. Olverson and Rexroad acted as straw purchasers to acquire firearms for people prohibited from having them.
During the Gun Show, agents observed a straw purchaser buy an uzi and long gun for Fields using money that Fields passed to purchaser. As a result of this surveillance operation, agents arrested Fields and obtained a search warrant for his home where they recovered 13 additional guns.
Olverson was seen purchasing an AR-15 rifle while being accompanied by Raglin, who is a known gun trafficker. Following the straw purchase, Olverson was interviewed by agents and a search was conducted on her vehicle, where agents seized a Glock 19 handgun and $6,000 in cash.
Rexrode, a fugitive, received cash and approached a vendor to purchase a firearm for a person not to possess.
The investigation is still ongoing. All charges are accusations and the defendant is considered innocent unless and until proven guilty. The investigation was conducted in partnership with the Office of Attorney General’s Gun Violence Section, Bureau of Narcotics Investigation and the Monroeville Police Department. These cases are being prosecuted by the Allegheny County District Attorney’s Office.
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