A second Kansas City, Missouri man pleaded guilty in federal court to the illegal straw purchase of a firearm recovered at the scene of the mass shooting at Union Station during the Kansas City Chiefs Super Bowl victory celebration on February 14, 2024.
Chaelyn Hendrick Groves, 20, pleaded guilty before U.S. District Judge Howard F. Sachs to one count of conspiracy to make false statements in the acquisition of a firearm. Co-defendant Ronnel Dewayne Williams, Jr., 22, pleaded guilty to the same charge on Wednesday, July 31.
Both Groves and Williams admitted to participating in the criminal conspiracy from November 25, 2023, to February 21, 2024. Williams made false statements to a licensed firearms dealer on November 25, 2023, claiming he was the actual buyer of a Stag Arms lower receiver, intended to deceive the dealer into making the sale to Williams. Firearm receivers, or frames, house the firing mechanism and other internal parts of a firearm. The receiver can be loaded and fired, or built into a complete firearm by adding components. By federal definition, a receiver is a firearm and is the only controlled component of a firearm.
Groves and Williams admitted that Williams was not the true buyer of the firearm but was purchasing the firearm for Groves, who was not of lawful age to purchase the firearm himself. Williams provided the firearm to Groves on the same day of the purchase. Groves then obtained a 300-blackout barrel and affixed it to the Stag Arms lower receiver.
Law enforcement officers recovered the firearm on February 14, 2024, in the area of 30 West Pershing Road, Kansas City, Missouri, following the mass shooting incident.
Groves and Williams also admitted that, between February 16 and February 21, 2024, they provided materially false statements to federal law enforcement officers regarding the acquisition and disposition of the Stag Arms lower receiver.
Under federal statutes, Groves and Williams each face a sentence of up to five years (60 months) in federal prison without parole. The maximum statutory sentence is prescribed by Congress and is provided for informational purposes, as the sentencing of the defendant will be determined by the court based on the advisory sentencing guidelines and other statutory factors.
This case is being prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney Jess Michaelsen. It was investigated by the Kansas City, Missouri Police Department and the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms, and Explosives.
