Virginia Beach Police cracking down on ‘straw purchases’

Efforts to enhance public safety continue in Virginia Beach as police make arrests involving what’s called straw purchases. That is when someone buys a gun legally and then sells it to someone prohibited from owning a firearm, such as a felon or a minor.

On May 27, the Virginia Beach Police Department published a press release stating that its officers executed multiple search warrants on May 16 and seized two firearms, as well as firearm parts and accessories. They arrested Vincent Elliott (M/27) of Virginia Beach, who is now charged with possession of a firearm by a convicted felon and conspiracy to sell a firearm with an obliterated serial number. Tyler Woleslagle (F/25) of Virginia Beach has also been arrested and charged with providing a firearm to a convicted felon.

Officers have been following this investigation since January 2025 after they arrested Alexis Guzman (M/22) of Virginia Beach and charged him with possession of a firearm by a convicted felon.  Since the arrest, VBPD officers say they have continued to investigate how Guzman acquired the firearm…

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