Crime Desk 04 Sep , 2024 03:39 AM GMT
DC and Maryland attorneys general filed a lawsuit against three firearms dealers.
Stores in Montgomery County allegedly sold guns to straw purchasers who resold to criminals.
34 guns sold to a Maryland resident who transferred them to a convicted felon.
"Ghost guns" are displayed at the headquarters of the San Francisco Police Department in San Francisco, Nov. 27, 2019. Two gun parts manufacturers have agreed to halt sales of their products in
Attorneys general in Washington, DC, and Maryland have filed a lawsuit against three firearms dealers in Maryland for allegedly selling guns to straw purchasers who then resold the weapons to criminals in DC and its surrounding Maryland suburbs.
The lawsuit alleges that three stores in Montgomery County - Engage Armament, United Gun Shop, and Atlantic Guns - sold 34 guns to a Maryland resident named Demetrius Minor, who subsequently transferred the firearms to a convicted felon with a lengthy criminal history. Minor was convicted for the purchases, with nine of the guns recovered at crime scenes in the DC area.
According to officials, the remaining guns are likely still in circulation, posing a risk to the community. The civil lawsuit states that there was no legitimate reason for Minor's excessive handgun purchases over a short period, indicating illegal straw purchasing.
While a representative of Atlantic Guns, Inc. denied knowingly selling to straw purchasers, the lawsuit seeks financial damages from the three gun stores to disrupt the practice of selling guns to criminals.
In 2023, violent crime in DC surged by 40%, with gun recoveries more than doubling over the past decade. DC Attorney General Brian Schwalb emphasized the need to address the source of illegal firearms entering the district to combat gun violence effectively.
Maryland Attorney General Anthony Brown identified the three gun shops as the top retailers of crime guns between August 2020 and July 2021, signaling a significant issue that authorities are now taking action to address.
The lawsuit aims not only to impose penalties on the gun stores but also to prevent further sales to straw purchasers, ultimately enhancing public safety in the region.
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