A Dallas County native was sentenced to 37 months in prison for possession of firearm after being convicted of a felony.

U.S. Attorney Richard W. Moore announced Tuesday that Anthony Crusoe of Selma received a sentence for possession of a Taurus 9mm pistol.

Crusoe entered a guilty plea pursuant to a plea agreement in court on March 28.  He admitted in open court that Mary Safford went to Rountree Outdoors on April 9, 2018 to fill out a ATF Form 4473 so she could buy a 9mm pistol.

On the ATF Form 4473, Safford said she was the transferee/buyer of the firearm knowing that was not true. Safford was buying the firearm for Anthony Crusoe, who she knew was

a convicted felon. This untruthful statement was material to the lawfulness of the sale of the

firearm.  Safford was a straw purchaser of the firearm.

Law enforcement officers attempted to execute an arrest warrant issued for Anthony Crusoe on Aug. 22, 2018. Officers traveled to Cruscoe’s home in Selma. Some officers went to the front door, while the other officers headed to the area behind the house.

The front door officers knocked on the front door, but no one answered.  Minutes later, the house officers observed Crusoe attempting to get into a vehicle that was parked behind his house while holding a blue duffel bag.

Officers attempted to arrest Crusoe and he fled but was apprehended a short time later hiding in some bushes with the blue duffel bag. Crusoe was arrested and the Taurus pistol was found inside the blue duffle bag.

At the time of the arrest, Crusoe was a felon, due to a previous conviction for first degree Unlawful Possession of Marijuana on Feb. 13, 2003. Crusoe told law enforcement officers that he gave Safford $260 to buy the firearm for him after he picked it out and told her which one to buy. Safford told law enforcement officers that she purchased the firearm, but Crusoe was in possession of it a week later.

The Selma Police Department and ATF both investigated the case, bringing it to the U. S. Attorney’s Office for prosecution.