Virginia woman sentenced for federal firearms charge

MARTINSBURG, WEST VIRGINIA – Hope Julia Clemons, age 33, of Norfolk, Virginia, was sentenced today to 63 months in prison for making a false statement during the purchase of firearms.

According to court documents and statements made in court, Clemons illegally purchased firearms in the Eastern Panhandle to be trafficked in the Washington, D.C. area. On at least two occasions, Clemons purchased firearms at gun dealers in Berkeley County, falsely stating on the required forms that the weapons were for her personal use. Clemons then gave the firearms to co-defendant Tyrone Greenfield to sell in the greater Washington, D.C. area. Clemons used a West Virginia state identification, secured by Greenfield, to make the purchases. Greenfield was sentenced earlier this year to 110 months in federal prison.

Assistant U.S. Attorney Lara Omps-Botteicher prosecuted the case on behalf of the government.

The case was investigated by the FBI; U.S. Marshals Service; Homeland Security Investigations; the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives; the West Virginia Air National Guard; the Eastern Panhandle Drug Task Force, a HIDTA-funded initiative; the West Virginia State Police; the Harpers Ferry Police Department, and the Metropolitan Police Department of Washington, D.C. The EPDTF consists of the West Virginia State Police, Berkeley County Sheriff’s Office, the Jefferson County Sheriff’s Office, Ranson Police Department, the Charles Town Police Department, and the Martinsburg Police Department.

U.S. District Judge Gina M. Groh presided.

Read more about the initial indictment: https://www.justice.gov/usao-ndwv/pr/west-virginia-maryland-and-washington-dc-residents-indicted-firearms-and-drug