A Clayton County woman was sentenced to a year of probation for lying about the gun she purchased for her boyfriend, a convicted felon who used the Glock to kill a Nebraska police officer.
Jalita Jenera Johnson, 26, must also complete 40 hours of community service and serve 180 days of home confinement, U.S. Attorney John Horn's office said Monday. Johnson pleaded guilty in August.
“The tragic result in this case is a stark reminder of how firearm purchasing laws are designed to protect the public,” Horn said in an emailed statement. “Ms. Johnson’s case shows that if you buy a gun for someone else and lie about it, you never know where that gun will end up or what it will be used for. Illegally bought guns not only pose a risk to our community, but any other community where the gun is ultimately taken.”
In April, Johnson bought a Glock semiautomatic firearm, a 50-round drum magazine and ammunition from a pawnshop near her Jonesboro home, according to investigators. Johnson claimed she was buying the gun for herself, but she later admitted purchasing it for her boyfriend, Marcus Wheeler. As a convicted felon, Wheeler could not purchase the gun himself.
In May, Wheeler got into an armed confrontation with City of Omaha police in Nebraska, and he used the Glock to shoot and kill Officer Kerrie Orozoco, according to investigators. Wheeler also was killed during the shootout.
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