One of the fundamental rights protected in the United States is the right to bear arms. This is laid out in the Second Amendment, and the majority of Americans have a right to purchase and own firearms.
However, this process is strictly controlled, and there are laws that have to be followed. One regulation is that you cannot acquire a firearm through a straw purchase. What is this, and how does it work?
Buying a gun for someone else
In essence, a straw purchase is when one person wants to buy a firearm and asks another person to do it for them. The second person is then given the money, they purchase the gun legally, and then they come back and give it to the first person, who wanted to be the owner of the firearm initially.
Why is this illegal? The issue is that some people are barred from gun ownership, such as those with violent felony records. They would not pass a background check, and they could not purchase a firearm on their own, so the way that they do it is by having someone else go in and buy it, knowing that they can pick someone who would pass a background check. Circumventing the laws in this way is illegal.
Are you facing charges?
If a mistake regarding gun laws has led to a serious situation where you face firearm charges, be sure you know what legal steps to take.