Philadelphia man who worked with anti-gun violence organization sentenced in 'Iron Pipeline' gun trafficking scheme
A United States Attorney has announced Kyle McLemore of Philadelphia has been sentenced to 10 years in prison for selling illegal firearms from South Carolina to people in Philadelphia.
McLemore was one of seven individuals convicted for participating in a scheme to straw purchase nearly 60 firearms from South Carolina gun stores, traffic them through the "Iron Pipeline," and resell them in Philadelphia between November 2020 and February 2021, according to the U.S. Attorney's Office, Eastern District of Pennsylvania.
According to the Eastern District of Pennsylvania, McLemore worked with Philadelphia resident Terrance Darby and Ontavious Plumer, who directed operations and coordinated purchases from a South Carolina prison.
Prosecutors say McLemore began trafficking firearms with Darby shortly after being released on parole, following 21 years in prison for a 1999 murder outside the University of Pennsylvania's Palestra arena.
The Eastern District of Pennsylvania says McLemore had been working as a youth advocate for the NoMo Foundation, an organization aimed at reducing gun violence through education, mentoring and career readiness for at-risk youth in Philadelphia.
"Kyle McLemore sold dozens of guns from South Carolina on the streets of Philadelphia while pretending to work to reduce gun violence," U.S. Attorney Jacqueline Romero said. "My office and the ATF will continue to target gun traffickers for federal prosecution — and federal prison time."
McLemore pleaded guilty in May to charges of conspiracy, dealing in firearms without a license and possession of a firearm by a felon. Other members of the trafficking ring, including Darby and Plumer, have also been convicted and sentenced.
According to the U.S. Attorney's Office, Eastern District of Pennsylvania, McLemore was also charged in 2021 after falsely obtaining COVID-19 funds.
CBS News Philadelphia has reached out to the the NoMo Foundation for comment and has not heard back at this time.
What is straw purchasing?
The Pennsylvania Office of Attorney General defines straw purchasing as "when one individual buys a gun for another individual who is unable to purchase their own gun legally," and it's the "most common channel identified in trafficking investigations."
According to the AG's office, more than 30,000 straw purchase attempts happen each year.