Date: 03-11-2025

Case Style:

United States of America v. Lonnel Diggs (aka Cash, Cashiiso Runzitup)

Case Number: 23-MJ-200

Judge: Nancy Torresen

Court: The United States District Court for the District of Maine (Cumbeland County)

Plaintiff's Attorney: The United States Attorney’s Office in Portland

Defendant's Attorney:

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Description:

Portland, Maine criminal defense lawyer represented the Defendant charged with Illegally Possessing a Firearm
Gang-Affiliated California Man Sentenced to 9 Years for Illegally Possessing a Firearm

A California man was indicted for being a felon in possession of firearms.

U.S. District Judge Nancy Torresen sentenced Lonnel Diggs (aka Cash, Cashiiso Runzitup), 40, to nine years in prison to be followed by three years of supervised release. Diggs pleaded guilty on August 19, 2024.

According to court records, in March 2022, Diggs, of Van Nuys, Calif., and a co-conspirator proposed to a couple who purchased crack cocaine from Diggs that they purchase firearms on the men’s behalf in exchange for cash and crack cocaine. The couple agreed and began traveling to gun shows and stores in Maine to make the straw purchases. At one of the gun shows, Diggs took photos of firearms and texted the images to the couple who then made the purchases and provided him with the firearms. Diggs was convicted in California for robbery in 2003 and for assault with a dangerous weapon on a peace officer in 2010 and is therefore precluded from possessing any firearms.

The Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives investigated the case with assistance from the Lewiston Police Department.

STRAW PURCHASING: A straw purchase is an illegal firearm purchase where the actual buyer of the gun, being unable to pass the required federal background check or desiring to not have his or her name associated with the transaction, uses a proxy buyer who can pass the required background check to purchase the firearm for him/her.

Outcome:

Defendant was found guilty and sentenced to nine years in prison to be followed by three years of supervised release.

Plaintiff's Experts:

Defendant's Experts:

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