ANCHORAGE – A federal grand jury in Alaska returned an indictment last week, charging an Oregon man and woman with conspiracy to straw purchase firearms while the man was in prison.

According to the indictment, Dominique Kyle James Swain, 25, was arrested in Oregon in January 2022 for violating his supervised release from a previous federal criminal case in the District of Alaska.  He was transported from Oregon to Alaska following his arrest. As a convicted felon, Swain was prohibited from purchasing and possessing firearms. While he was in custody in Anchorage, Swain orchestrated and directed Abigail Corinne Elaine Sturdevant, 25, who was in Oregon at the time, to purchase firearms on his behalf. Sturdevant agreed and throughout July and August 2022, she purchased several specific models of firearms at Swain’s direction, falsely claiming she was the actual buyer when they both knew the firearms were purchased for Swain.  It is alleged that Swain was on the phone with Sturdevant as they made the firearm purchases. Sturdevant then stored the purchased firearms at her residence for Swain.  

Swain and Sturdevant are each charged with one count of conspiracy to straw purchase firearms. Swain is further charged with one count of being a felon in possession of firearms. If convicted, each faces a maximum penalty of 15 years in prison. A federal district court judge will determine any sentence after considering the U.S. Sentencing Guidelines and other statutory factors.

U.S. Attorney S. Lane Tucker of the District of Alaska made the announcement.

The Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms, and Explosives (ATF), with the assistance of the Federal Bureau of Investigations (FBI) and Eugene Police Department, are investigating the case.

Assistant U.S. Attorney George Tran is prosecuting the case.

This case is part of Project Safe Neighborhoods (PSN), the centerpiece of the Department of Justice’s violent crime reduction efforts. PSN is an evidence-based program proven to be effective at reducing violent crime. Through PSN, a broad spectrum of stakeholders work together to identify the most pressing violent crime problems in the community and develop comprehensive solutions to address them. As part of this strategy, PSN focuses enforcement efforts on the most violent offenders and partners with locally based prevention and reentry programs for lasting reductions in crime.

An indictment is merely an allegation and all defendants are presumed innocent until proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt in a court of law.

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