ROANOKE, Va. (AP) _ A former Rocky Mount police officer has been fined $400 for his role in a gun-buying scheme. James Marion Slate was accused of trying to recruit other people to become straw buyers of guns. He pleaded guilty in July to a federal conspiracy count. Straw purchases typically involve a person who legally buys a firearm but does so on behalf of someone else. The Roanoke Times reports that the 26-year-old Slate was sentenced Monday in U.S. District Court. In addition to the fine, he received probation. Slate left the police force earlier this year. A co-defendant, David Haskins of Bassett, is scheduled to be sentenced Nov. 25 on two counts of inducing straw gun purchases.
