An active-duty member of the U.S. Navy has admitted she helped a New Jersey couple illegally purchase five semi-automatic handguns that were transported from Virginia to New Jersey.

Hours after the weapons were driven into the Garden State, police first got wind of the scheme when one of the guns was fired in Orange.

Tesora Amanda Cortes Trejorojas, 24, of Norfolk, Virginia, pleaded guilty Tuesday to one count of conspiring with others to transport and receive in New Jersey firearms purchased and obtained outside the state, according to the U.S. Attorney’s office.

Trejorojas admitted that her cousin, Azia Sinclair, and Shyheim Tyson, both of Newark, traveled to Virginia on Nov. 11, 2017, and that the trio went to a gun store in Norfolk.

Trejorojas purchased the five handguns and 200 rounds of ammunition with cash provided by Tyson and Sinclair.

She also signed a federal form at the shop falsely claiming she was the one buying the guns.

Sinclair and Tyson returned to New Jersey with the weapons on Nov. 12. About five hours later, police in Orange responded to a report of shots fired and recovered one of the handguns.

In March 2018, police served a search warrant at Sinclair’s Newark home and recovered another of the guns.

Authorities did not indicate if the other three guns were ever recovered.

Prior to the purchases, Sinclair had asked Trejorojas about buying a gun, saying it was taking too long for her to get a license in New Jersey, according to recovered text messages.

Trejorojas told Sinclair her status as an active-duty military member meant she wouldn’t need a gun license to purchase a firearm in Virginia.

Other text messages confirmed that Trejorojas agreed to purchase the guns and give them to the couple. Those messages also revealed Trejorojas was concerned about how the weapons would be used, according to a criminal complaint.

"Omg please don't be carving bodies," she wrote to her cousin. "My name on them thangssssss lol."

"Lol nah we not crazy ass," Sinclair texted back.

Tyson pleaded guilty to conspiracy in the gun trafficking scheme and was sentenced to more than 3 years in prison. Sinclair is awaiting trial.

Trejorojas faces up to 5 years in prison and a $250,000 fine when she is sentenced on Sept. 25.

Matt Gray may be reached at mgray@njadvancemedia.com. Follow him on Twitter @MattGraySJT. Find NJ.com on Facebook.

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