A former California University of Pennsylvania football player was sentenced to 30 months in prison this morning for having his friends purchase at least a dozen handguns for him that were then, apparently, taken to Canada and resold.
Kwabena Baffoe-Bonnie, 25, of Toronto, Canada, pleaded guilty to conspiracy and possession of a firearm by an alien, in April. Twelve other counts against him were dismissed.
According to the prosecution, Mr. Baffoe-Bonnie enlisted the help of his girlfriend, Ashleigh Wade, and a teammate, Terrell Robinson, to purchase 14 handguns between Feb. 23 and March 24, 2006. Because he was in this country on a student visa, Mr. Baffoe-Bonnie was not permitted to buy firearms.
He told his friends what type of guns to buy -- they were mostly .38s and 9 mms -- gave them money to buy them and went with them to make the purchases.
In Canada, the guns had a higher value, because of restrictive firearms laws. One of the handguns, a .380-caliber pistol, was recovered at the scene of a gang shooting in Toronto.
At the sentencing hearing this morning before U.S. District Judge Terrence F. McVerry, several members of Mr. Baffoe-Bonnie's family spoke about how he had always been a good person, had never been in trouble before, and clearly had made a mistake.
The defendant, himself, reiterated that in his own statement to the judge.
"Growing up, temptation was always around me," he said. "I always managed to keep on track. For one brief moment, I lost sight of everything I've known my whole life, and I gave in to temptation."
Mr. Baffoe-Bonnie apologized to the court and to his family for what he'd done and said he would like to continue to be a role model for his young cousins and the children who look up to him in the community.
"All I'm asking is you help me get back -- get back where I can help young men," he said.
Judge McVerry sentenced Mr. Baffoe-Bonnie to the low end of the recommended 30 to 37-month guideline range.
"This case has baffled me from the beginning, too," the judge said. "I cannot understand what motivated you to engage in this."
He later said the only reason he could think of was greed.
Just days away from graduation at California, where he received a football scholarship, Mr. Baffoe-Bonnie was expelled from the school and did not receive his degree.
He will likely be deported upon completion of his prison term.
More details in tomorrow's Pittsburgh Post-Gazette.
First Published: July 27, 2007, 3:45 p.m.
