Berkeley County woman admits to firearms charge

MARTINSBURG, WEST VIRGINIA – Shauntae Cherie Placko, of Hedgesville, West Virginia, has admitted to a firearms charge, United States Attorney Bill Powell announced.

Placko, age 29, pled guilty to one count of “False Statement During Purchase of a Firearm.” Placko admitted to making a false statement when purchasing a pistol from a firearms dealer in Berkeley County in October 2017. 

Placko faces up to five years incarceration and a fine of up to $250,000 for the false statement count. Under the Federal Sentencing Guidelines, the actual sentence imposed will be based upon the seriousness of the offenses and the prior criminal history, if any, of the defendant.

This case was brought as part of Project Safe Neighborhoods (PSN). Project Safe Neighborhoods is 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.

Assistant U.S. Attorney Lara Omps-Botteicher is prosecuting the case on behalf of the government. The Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives investigated.

U.S. Magistrate Judge Robert W. Trumble presided.