Rep. Adam Schiff seeks new penalties for gun traffickers

[ellisonz]

By Richard A. Serrano
March 7, 2012, 1:38 p.m.
Reporting from Washington—

A lawmaker and former federal prosecutor from Los Angeles has drafted proposed new penalties for criminals who illegally purchase and smuggle firearms into Mexico, saying he hopes his measure will bring "something positive" out of the uproar over the Fast and Furious gun-tracking operation on the Southwest border.

Rep. Adam Schiff (D-Burbank) said he will introduce legislation Thursday to create a two-year prison sentence for so-called "straw purchasers" who currently receive probation or very little jail time for acquiring weapons under false pretenses and then selling them to Mexican gun smugglers.

In the Fast and Furious operation run by the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives in Arizona, where hundreds of weapons ended up with Mexican drug cartels, only a handful of straw purchasers were charged. The operation was designed to track down large-scale weapons smugglers, and Schiff believes his legislation will force the purchasers to cooperate with federal law enforcement to avoid the two years in prison.

http://www.latimes.com/news/politics/la-schiff-penalties-for-gun-traffickers-20120307,0,1577468.story

[Vincardog]

1. Maybe he should make it a crime for " federal law enforcement" to facilitate such crimes especially

when "hundreds of weapons ended up with Mexican drug cartels".

[krispos42]

2. Hmmm...

[petronius]

5. Me too, although I wonder if it's limited to straw purchasers who buy

for smuggling to Mexico, or applies to all straw purchasers. I'd prefer the latter...

[Atypical Liberal]

3. Great!

I have no problem nailing these people to the wall. I don't even have a problem with extra scrutiny given to people who show up through NICS more than 3 times a month. I'd be very surprised if there were many people legitimately buying more than three firearms a month through an FFL.

[ileus]

4. Sounds like a great thing...assuming it doesn't get in the way of legal buyers.

[burf]

6. it seems to me Mr Schiff is a little

late to the dance. The existing law provides for a jail term of up to ten years and a $250,000 fine.

http://www.dontlie.org/why.cfm

Are you sure you are in support of the "Don't lie for the other guy" program? You do realize that it was created by the NSSF, the trade group for the firearms industry? Are you now supporting a program initiated with the help the "merchants of death"?

[ellisonz]

8. I think the proposal is for a mandatory minimum...

...I could be wrong, but that is the impression that I get from the article.

[one-eyed fat man]

9. The irony is

that prosecutors, as a class, tend to trade away gun charges for pleas bargains.

A great example is Annette Stevens, president of Springfield, Illinois chapter of the Million Mom March, was arrested by Springfield police and the ATF for possession of an illegal gun that had its serial number ground off, and dealing drugs.

She plead guilty on the drug charges in exchange for dropping the gun charges. She gets a 3 year sentence and will be out in 8 months instead of 10 years on the gun charges and the prosecutor gets to count it as a conviction.

What a deal!!

[discntnt_irny_srcsm]

10. That's what I like...

...to see in the US, a good sound business solution.

[burf]

11. The part of when the same kinda prosecutor runs for elected office

all they can talk about is how "tough on crime" they are is what I get upset at.

[spin]

7. I would go much further ...

Not only would I impose a two year sentence on anyone convicted the straw purchase of a firearm, I would also charge them as an accessory in any crime committed by a weapon they had bought under false pretenses.

[Remmah2]

12. Mandatory minimum is an excellent start.

It should be served in a Mexican prison! Civilians and responsible government violators alike. It's as much a crime against US citizens as it is Mexican citizens.

[aikoaiko]

13. Anyone who knowingly transfers a weapon to a prohibited person should get the full 10

2 years? WTF

[iverglas]

14. can you get him to add Canada to that list?

We would be much obliged.