Three more defendants were sentenced today for their roles in a conspiracy to traffic over 140 firearms from the Beckley area to Philadelphia, Pennsylvania.
Derrick Woodard, also known as “D,” 27, of Philadelphia, was sentenced to two years in prison, to be followed by three years of supervised release, for interstate travel with the intent to engage in dealing firearms without a license.
Tyana Bly, also known as “Biggie,” 23, of Beckley, and Megan Bickford, 34, of Oak Hill, were sentenced to five years of federal probation for making false statements in the acquisition of firearms. Bickford must serve the first four months of her probation on home confinement.
According to court documents and statements made in court, Woodard admitted to traveling to Beckley with Bisheem Jones, also known as “Bosh,” and several other co-defendants on October 17, 2020, to obtain firearms with plans to resell them for profit in Philadelphia.
Bly and Bickford each admitted to buying firearms for Jones, who selected which firearms to buy at businesses within the Southern District of West Virginia and provided the money for the purchases. Each time Bly and Bickford bought a firearm for Jones, they falsely certified on the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives (ATF) Federal Firearms Transaction Record Form 4473 that they were the buyers of the firearms when they knew they were purchasing them for Jones and his trafficking conspiracy.
Bly admitted to buying two SCCY CPX-2 9mm pistols and a Taurus G3C 9mm pistol for Jones in Beckley on April 2, 2021. Bly further admitted to purchasing at least five firearms for Jones in March and April 2021 so he and others could transport and resell them outside of West Virginia.
Bickford admitted to buying a IWI, Model Jericho 941, 9mm pistol in Rainelle on November 2, 2020, and further admitted to carrying out at least 54 straw purchases throughout 2020.
Woodard, Bly and Bickford are among 18 defendants who pleaded guilty in connection with the firearms trafficking. Of the over 140 firearms trafficked in the conspiracy, approximately 45 have been recovered at crime scenes primarily in Philadelphia and have been connected to two homicides, crimes of domestic violence, and other violent offenses. Nineteen of the firearms recovered from Philadelphia crime scenes were purchased by Bickford.
After five days of trial, a federal jury found Jones guilty on December 16, 2022, of conspiracy to travel interstate with the intent to deal in firearms without a license, conspiracy to commit money laundering, and interstate travel with the intent to deal in firearms without a license. Jones is scheduled to be sentenced on April 7, 2023, and faces a maximum penalty of 35 years in prison.
United States Attorney Will Thompson made the announcement and commended the investigative work of the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives (ATF).
United States District Judge Frank W. Volk imposed the sentences. Assistant United States Attorneys Negar M. Kordestani and Steve Loew prosecuted the cases.
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.