Straw Purchaser gets off lightly

[matty 810]

Enforce the laws on the books, if she were sentenced to 7+ years it would be a much bigger effect on potential straw buyers, IMHO

 

http://www.nj.com/news/index.ssf/2011/02/westfield_woman_who_bought_han.html

[n4p226r 105]

did she purchase it for him? or did he just have access to it and take it?

she's lucky it wasnt locked and unloaded in her trunk. that would have gotten her 7 years

[PK90 3,570]

did she purchase it for him? or did he just have access to it and take it?

she's lucky it wasnt locked and unloaded in her trunk. that would have gotten her 7 years

 

Next to last sentence.

Gross pleaded guilty today to making a false statement to a federal firearms licensee; a second count was dropped.

[matty 810]

Next to last sentence.

 

 

I wonder if the deal included dropping PA and maybe NJ state charges? Or is there some hope she may yet get some punishment---

[Malsua 1,422]

It's quite possible that he did indeed take the gun and they couldn't figure out what to charge her with so they probably charged her with accessory to murder and pled her down to the false statements thing.

 

It could also be that she didn't have a clue about guns at all, the dead murderer had her get the purchaser ID and she bought the gun. Just goes to show, the whole purchaser ID thing doesn't stop anything.

[Wolfy 51]

She should have been charged as if she pulled the trigger herself. IMO.

[GRIZ 3,369]

It could also be that she didn't have a clue about guns at all, the dead murderer had her get the purchaser ID and she bought the gun. Just goes to show, the whole purchaser ID thing doesn't stop anything

 

According to the links she bought the gun at Cabela's in Hamburg with apparently sufficient identification to satisfy Cabela's she was a PA resident. No firerams purchaser ID needs for PA just proof of residence. She was in fact a NJ resident.

 

I wonder if the deal included dropping PA and maybe NJ state charges? Or is there some hope she may yet get some punishment---

 

She didn't commit any crime in NJ so there would be no NJ charges. There is nothing to prevent her being charged in PA under state law but it may be easier just to go with the Federal charges.

 

It's quite possible that he did indeed take the gun and they couldn't figure out what to charge her with so they probably charged her with accessory to murder and pled her down to the false statements thing.

 

Their is no Federal murder statute she could have been charged with. To charge her as an accessory would mean the prosecution would have had to prove she knew the guy was going to kill someone with the gun. More expeditious way to charge her with several Federal violations and let her plea guilty to the 1001 violation (false statement). Not an unusual tactic for the US Attorney's office. Do you want to take a chance and beat 20 years in prison or plea to maybe 5?

 

Her sentence will be determined using Federal Sentencing Guidelines.