NJ Man sentenced to 10-20 years for straw purchasing scheme
A New Jersey man was sentenced on Friday, Feb. 13, 2026, to 10 to 20 years in state prison for his role in a prolific “straw purchasing” operation that funneled illegally obtained firearms into the community.
Christopher Demond Lee Jr., 30, of Ewing, New Jersey, pleaded guilty in September to multiple felony counts, including dealing in proceeds of unlawful activity, making materially false written statements in connection with the purchase of firearms, and criminal conspiracy.
The sentence by Senior Judge Jeffrey L. Finley follows a comprehensive investigation by the Bucks County Strike Force, led by Detective Jeffrey Jumper, in collaboration with the Pennsylvania Attorney General’s Gun Violence Task Force.
Investigators determined that between January and July 2024, Lee purchased nine firearms across multiple transactions in Morrisville, Pennsylvania. To facilitate these purchases, Lee illegally obtained a Pennsylvania driver’s license and used a false Bucks County address on official forms to bypass residency requirements.
