New York City Investigates Arizona Gun Show

[gunsmith]

http://www.nytimes.com/2011/01/31/us/31guns.html?partner=rss&emc=rss

New York City Investigates Arizona Gun Show
By MARC LACEY
Published: January 30
PHOENIX — Weeks after a shooting left six dead and 13 injured in Tucson, New York City sent undercover investigators to an Arizona gun show and found instances in which private sellers sold semiautomatic pistols even after buyers said they probably could not pass background checks, city officials said.

[French G.]

Don't give me that juris-my-diction crap either!

Awfully convenient, they probably come with their own cuffs. Cuff 'em to a lamp post and stick an I *heart NY t-shirt on them.

[freakazoid]

Didn't they already try this stunt before? 

I wonder how much it costs to send them all the way to Arizona, pay for their time there, and bring them back.

[230RN]

They forget they used to be the capital of the US.

[Perd Hapley]

instances in which private sellers sold semiautomatic pistols even after buyers said they probably could not pass background checks

I know it's a crime to sell to those who aren't legally eligible, but is that actionable?

[vaskidmark]

Bloomie tried that here in Virginia, and got a law passed to criminalize it for his troubles.

There have been a few times since when folks who came to gun shows in cars with NY plates on their cars were followed by both state/local cops who are assigned to the shows and by the promoters themselves.  Unfortunately the following was quite obvious and no arrests were made.

The only guy who seems to be getting away with buying guns while not eligible seems to be Colin Goddard, whose Living for 32 cinematic display of dancing in the blood of the victims of the Va Tech massacre won the Sundance Film Festival award (Wow!  Never would have guessed that would happen.)  Why BAFTEIEIO has never gone after him, what with all the video evidence he created, remains a mystery.

stay safe.

[dm1333]

The investigation, part of an effort by Mayor Michael R. Bloomberg’s administration to crack down on illegal gun sales nationwide, took place Jan. 23 at the Crossroads of the West Gun Show in Phoenix, officials said.

Bloomberg must have taken lessons from Al Haig.  Good to know he's in charge!

[AZRedhawk44]

In two instances, the New York undercover officers specifically said before buying a gun, “I probably couldn’t pass a background check,” but were still sold guns, city officials said.

According to a transcript from one investigator’s purchase of a Sig Sauer pistol at the Phoenix show, the exchange went like this:

Investigator: “So, you’re not one of those, you know, dealer guys, right?”

Seller: “No. No tax, no form, you don’t have to do transfers or nothing.”

Investigator: “Yeah, yeah.”

Seller: “Just see an Arizona ID and that’s it with me.”

Investigator: “So no background check?”

Seller: “No.”

Investigator: “That’s good, because I probably couldn’t pass one, you know what I mean?”

The seller sold the gun for $500.

Bring up the guys who made the sales on charges: They sold handguns to interstate buyers.  That's a no-no.  And they sold handguns to guys who expressly said they're probably not eligible to buy.  That's a no-no.

Or, bring up the "investigators" on charges for falsifying ID's.

Or both.

Let's enforce what we've got already.  Obviously we're failing there.  Adding more laws just results in more failed enforcement.

And none of this would have stopped Jared Laughner.  He bought his Glock from an FFL and passed the NICS check.

[Jamisjockey]

And lied on his form 4473, question 12 e (Are you an unlawful user of and/ or addicted to an illegal drug).

The entire system is a sham.

[Tallpine]

Let's enforce what we've got already.

No, let's go back at least to pre-1968 

[Regolith]

No, let's go back at least to pre-1934 

FTFY.

[Perd Hapley]

No, let's go back at least to pre-1776 

FTFY.

Oh, wait. Never mind. 

[Seenterman]

Ask a New Yorkers can someone come to New York and pull this same stunt? I'm sure you can get some guns off the street if you ask around enough and prove that Bloomberg doesn't rule some freaking Utopia as he seems to think. Its not like there's a shooting here almost everyday  but all New Yorkers know the problem is really 2000 miles away in Arizona. Bad Arizona! BAD!

Can I go buy some handguns illegally to prove a point?

You can't get arrested for committing a crime, if you commit the crime just to prove you can commit the crime. Right? Is that how it works?

[TechMan]

Bloomie is just wanting more press and is willing to use the tragedy in AZ to further his agenda.   

[kgbsquirrel]

That and he can't pull this stunt in his neighbors backyards anymore without his lackeys getting pinched for it.

[Monkeyleg]

There's lots of places to dig holes in the desert.

[Jocassee]

The transcript says the seller asked for ID but doesn't specify if he got any.

[Headless Thompson Gunner]

Right.  Because there isn't enough crime in NYC for the local authorities to deal with.  They have to go across the country to find some crime worth fighting.

[sanglant]

that's crime that's safe to investigate.

[Gowen]

There's lots of places to dig holes in the desert.

Nah, just throw them over the mexican border, let the drug cartel show them all those guns coming from the US.

[Ben]

I caught a news segment  a couple of hours ago showing Bloomberg talking about this. I always knew he was a weasel, but in that segment, he got promoted up my list to mealy-mouthed weasel.

[Matthew Carberry]

For someone who seems to have national political aspirations he sure doesn't seem to realize this isn't winning him any friends aside from his fellow anti-gun travelers outside of NYC.

[Scout26]

I'd pay money to see the local LE prone these f'ers out and stick several 9mm's/40S&W's in the back of their necks and scatter the contents of their pockets all over the parking lot.

Then have them fall up and down stairs at the station 3 or 4 times.

If I was the sheriff and someone from out side of my jurisdiction came in and tried to pull this crap, they'd do it ONCE.  Because my friendly judge they got put in front of would kick them so hard in the balls that Bloomie would be speakin' an octave or two higher for a month. 

[/rant]

[HankB]

A story said that private investigators from NYC purchased guns in AZ at Bloomberg's direction.

If the PI's were actually from NYC and not local (AZ) hires, wouldn't the purchase be a Federal crime on the part of the purchasers, not just the sellers?

And since Bloomberg was behind it, wouldn't that make him part of a criminal conspiracy?

I don't expect Eric Holder to take an interest, but over in the House, Pelosi & Company are no longer in charge. So . . . this sounds like an opportunity for Republicans like Rep. Darrell Issa (R-CA), the Chairman of the House Committee on Oversight and Government Reform, to summon some Federal law enforcement bigwigs before his committee and have them testify - under oath and on the record - as to exactly why no charges are being filed even after what appears to be a public admission of criminal activity on the part of Bloomberg and his minions.

[freakazoid]

Was this done by a private seller, not a business? And if so, is a private seller required to make sure they are allowed to purchase it?