Men plead guilty to firearms charge

PITTSBURGH -- Two New Castle men -- Alexander Pagley Jr. of West Terrace Avenue and Jeffrey Natale of Sunnyside Road -- pleaded guilty to one count of knowingly selling a firearm or ammunition to a person not allowed to own firearms.
The pleas were entered in U.S. Federal District Court. According to the U.S. attorney's office, Pagley, 33, a federal firearms licensee, operated a gun store known as Pete's Bait and Sport on Mahoning Avenue in New Castle. Natale, 40, was employed at the store.
On four occasions from March 15 to April 27, 2001, the men knowingly sold nine firearms, through a "straw purchaser," to a felon who was prohibited from buying or possessing firearms, according to the U.S. attorney's office. A "straw purchase" occurs when someone else buys a firearm for another person.
The purchases were part of an undercover investigation by the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco and Firearms, and each illegal transaction was secretly recorded as part of the investigation.
Both men will be sentenced Jan. 10. They both face a sentence of up to 10 years in prison, a fine of up to $250,000 or both.