BALTIMORE (AP) — A Maryland man who prosecutors say admitted to being a member of the anti-government “boogaloo” movement has pleaded guilty to illegal possession of a firearm by a convicted felon after getting his girlfriend to purchase a portion of a rifle.
Frank William Robertson Perry, 39, entered his plea Tuesday, according to a news release from the U.S. Attorney’s Office in Baltimore.
Boogaloo followers are part of a loose, anti-government, pro-gun extremist movement. The name is a reference to a slang term for a sequel — in this case, a second U.S. civil war.
According to the plea agreement, Perry’s girlfriend bought the lower receiver of an AM-15 rifle from a firearms dealer in eastern Baltimore County in April 2020 for his own use. The lower receiver of a firearm, while not a completed and functioning weapon, is legally defined as a firearm.
Perry was prohibited from possessing a firearm or ammunition due to a prior burglary conviction, the FBI said.
The girlfriend said on a government form that she bought the lower receiver for herself, but the FBI said investigators reviewed the girlfriend’s social media accounts and did not find any evidence that she is interested in firearms or capable of assembling her own rifle.
According to prosecutors, Perry admitted that from March 31 to Sept. 6, 2020, he purchased a number of firearm-related items online. The items were delivered to his girlfriend’s home in her name and he used the items to build an operational AM-15 weapon, prosecutors said.
Perry faces a maximum of 10 years in prison. Sentencing has not been scheduled.
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