State AG: 10 gun dealers nabbed for not doing background checks

An eight-month investigation by the New York Attorney General's Office resulted today in the arrests of 10 gun dealers who are accused of selling weapons without conducting required background checks.

News 12 Staff

Dec 1, 2011, 12:52 AM

Updated 4,677 days ago

Share:

An eight-month investigation by the New York Attorney General's Office resulted today in the arrests of 10 gun dealers who are accused of selling weapons without conducting required background checks. Attorney General Eric Schneiderman says agents went undercover to gun shows across the state, including on Long Island, and time and again bought guns without so much as a background check. Among the weapons purchased by agents were assault rifles, semi-automatics and Colts."We don't know how many guns like this got into the hands of people who have criminal backgrounds, who had mental illness problems," Schneiderman says. According to undercover transcripts, in one case, an officer told a gun seller that he cannot buy a gun from a dealer because his ex-wife has an order of protection against him. In response, the merchant offered the agent one of the weapons. Following the sting, 10 gun dealers are facing criminal charges, including two Long Islanders. Schneiderman says right now, operators aren't held liable if an illegal sale is made at their gun show, but he wants to work with legislators to create stronger laws that would hold operators accountable as well.