Minneapolis is seeing a rapid increase in violent crimes involving firearms. For example, 553 people were injured or killed by gunfire in Minneapolis in 2020, the most in 15 years. Where are these guns coming from? One method is through a scheme called “straw purchasing.” Straw purchasing is when a customer purchases a gun on behalf of someone else therefore allowing a person to avoid the background check system. Recently, the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives (ATF) worked to address the problem. For example, two Twin City locals were arrested for straw purchasing. They allegedly illegally sold forty-seven guns in the Twin Cities area.
You may be accused of being a “straw purchaser” if..
- You are not a federally licensed firearm dealer and
- you transfer a pistol or semiautomatic military-style assault weapon without complying transfer requirements and
- the weapon is used in furtherance of a felony crime of violence within one year of the transfer and
- if the person who used the weapon was prohibited from possessing the weapon at the time of transfer or
- it was reasonably foreseeable at the time of transfer that the person would use the weapon in furtherance of a crime of violence.
See Minn. Stat. 609.66 Subd.1(f).
If you have any concerns about your transfer of firearms or if you are accused of a crime, call Sieben & Cotter at 651-455-1555 to arrange your free and comprehensive consultation, or send a request for more information.
The information in this blog post is provided for general informational purposes only. No information contained in this post should be construed as legal advice from Sieben & Cotter, PLLC, nor is it intended to be a substitute for legal counsel on any subject matter. No reader of this post should act or refrain from acting on the basis of any information included in, or accessible through, this post without seeking the appropriate legal or other professional advice on the particular facts and circumstances at issue from a lawyer licensed in the recipient’s state, country or other appropriate licensing jurisdiction.
