Hunter
05/31/23
A North Liberty man has been arrested on warrants stemming from incidents where he allegedly provided false information to obtain firearms on three different occasions.
Police say 28-year-old Jerfferio Barnes of Holiday Lodge Road purchased a Smith and Wesson .40 caliber pistol from Scheels in the Coral Ridge Mall the morning of May 29th 2021. The weapon was recovered about four months later during a law enforcement investigation, with the serial number obliterated and in possession of an individual not legally able to purchase it. When interviewed, Barnes allegedly admitted to being a marijuana user, and lied on his firearm application about his drug use.
Barnes returned to Scheels on May 19th 2022 and purchased a Ruger pistol. He returned two days after that and purchased a Taurus 9mm pistol. On May 22nd of that year, Barnes was involved in a traffic stop where he was reportedly in possession of the Taurus and marijuana in North Liberty. Barnes allegedly told officers that he had been an unlawful user of marijuana for about four months and knowingly provided false information to obtain the two firearms.
Warrants were issued for Barnes’ arrest, and he was taken into custody Tuesday morning. He’s been charged with three counts of fraudulent purchase of a firearm. If convicted on all charges, he could be sentenced to up to fifteen years in prison.