Ashley Zastrow, 32, from Merrill, purchased two firearms in Wisconsin Rapids on Jan. 13, 2022. WAUSAU, Wis. (WAOW) -- A Wausau woman has been charged with making a false statement while purchasing firearms, according to a news release from the U.S. Department of Justice. Call us at 414-271-1440 or send us an e-mail today to discuss your case. https://docs.legis.wisconsin.gov/2011/related/subject_index/index/f/firearms_and_dangerous_weapons, https://law.cornell.edu/uscode/text/18/922, https://law.cornell.edu/uscode/text/18/924. There was a problem saving your notification. Scott Walker on Wednesday approved a measure touted as making it easier to prosecute illegal straw purchasing of firearms in the state. He was acquitted on all counts. That person also allegedly used one of the firearms purchased by Zastrow to commit a homicide. Top editors give you the stories you want delivered right to your inbox each weekday. Some other states have looser regulations that prohibit individuals from knowingly encouraging sellers to conduct those illegal firearm transfers, according to the group. Wisconsin Gov. I have no answer. First, contrary to what most people think, no Federal Law prohibits you from buying a gun as a gift for someone else. Wisconsin law makes it a crime to provide false information to a gun dealer with the intent to purchase a firearm and then transfer it to a person prohibited from obtaining one. Tell us what you think about the songs we play! A straw purchase, as defined by the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives, involves someone who purchases a gun for someone who is prohibited by law from possessing one or. Thats why tougher laws on straw purchases are a priority for gun control groups. (2) The prohibition in sub. Wisconsin resident KIRK VALENTINE purchased the firearms at retail stores, pawn shops and gun shows, and falsely certified on required forms that he was the actual buyer, according to an indictment returned in U.S. District Court in Chicago. Here's what it's like to shoot this classic scattergun. An investigation by law enforcement revealed that she purchased the firearms from an individual who accompanied her to the store and provided her with cash at the time of the purchase. The indictment describes seven firearm transactions in Wisconsin: Holding straw purchasers accountable through federal prosecution is a centerpiece of Project Safe Neighborhoods the Department of Justices violent crime reduction strategy. The new law makes it a Class H felony in the state to purchase a gun with the intent to give it to someone prohibited from possessing a firearm or to act as a human holster by holding a weapon for a criminal. The case was brought forward through a multi-jurisdiction effort between law enforcement in Lincoln and Wood counties along with the FBI. Generally, secretly purchasing a gun on someone else's behalf from a gun dealer, called a straw purchase, is illegal. The firearms in question were used by Tanner Graap. It is this intent that matters. Here is the reason. The Nylon 66, a relatively inexpensive rimfire with faux woodgrain, was the first successful synthetic-stock firearm. By signing up you agree to Guns.com's Judge William Conley said Ritchie knew he was purchasing guns for a known drug dealer, which warranted a prison sentence even though he has no prior sentences on his record. Terms and Conditions and Privacy Policy. A lock ( Your intent is to act as the agent. The PSN approach involves collaboration by federal, state, and local law enforcement agencies, prosecutors and communities to prevent and deter gun violence. Smith & Wesson Model 586: Reviewing A .357 Revolver With Class. without the transfer creating a "straw purchase". With no legislative text, the specifics of a crackdown on straw purchases remain unclear. This prison term will be followed by a 3-year term of supervised release. A straw purchase is someone intentionally avoiding a background check, a waiting period, or is too young to purchase the gun in the first place. But Rittenhouse's possession of the firearm at the time was technically legal. Pennington will be sentenced for his role in the incident (one count of distributing meth) next January. Tips For Preventing Firearm Straw Purchases. Reports of thefts to police are much lower: they totalled about 240,000 in 2016, according to the FBI's National Crime Information Center, which derives its figures from data provided by local law enforcement. A straw purchase is an illegal firearm purchase where the actual buyer of the gun, being unable to pass the required federal background check or desiring to not have his or her name associated with the transaction, uses a proxy buyer who can pass the required background check to purchase the firearm for him/her. NIBIN is a proven investigative and intelligence tool that can link firearms from multiple crime scenes, allowing law enforcement to quickly disrupt shooting cycles. 219 S. Dearborn St., 5th Floor First Criminal Conviction for Spoofing May Increas New Challenge to the Informing the Accused Form, Foiled Crimes: The Crime of Attempt in Wisconsin, Welfare Drug Testing and the Constitution. Giving someone a firearm carries a certain level of legal responsibility that does not come with gifting iPads or socks. A straw purchase, as defined by the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives, involves someone who purchases a gun for someone who is prohibited by law from possessing one or for someone who does not want their name associated with the transaction. Rittenhouse lived about 20 minutes outside of Kenosha, in Antioch, Illinois. An investigation by law enforcement revealed that she purchased these firearms for an individual who accompanied her to the store and provided her with cash at the time of purchase. A straw purchase, as defined by the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives, involves someone who purchases a gun for someone who is prohibited by law from possessing one or. The governor and Lane are supporting House Bill 306. This offense is known as a straw purchase. The person Zastrow provided the firearms is prohibited by law from possessing firearms as a result of previous felony convictions and allegedly used one of the firearms purchased by Zastrow to commit a homicide. A locked padlock Valentine, 23, of La Crosse, Wisc., and Rocha, 28, are charged with conspiracy to deal firearms without a license, and unlawfully dealing and importing firearms. The motives of Joseph Rosenbaum, 36, were less clear that night. May 17, 2018: Valentine purchased two handguns at Holmen Pawn Shop in Holmen, Wisc. Dept. Earlier this week, Judge Bruce Schroeder threw out a count of possession of a dangerous weapon by a person under 18 after Rittenhouse's defense argued the rifle was not short-barreled, capitalizing on an exception to the Wisconsin statute involving the barrel length of a gun. During the legislative process for SB 408, law enforcement representatives from Wisconsins largest city testified to lawmakers that officers in Milwaukee recovered more guns per capita than in Chicago. We are tired of t. This offense is known as a straw purchase. The person Zastrow provided the firearms is prohibited by law from possessing firearms as a result of previous felony convictions and allegedly used one of the firearms purchased by Zastrow to commit a homicide. Stay in the know. The individual is also accused of using one of the weapons to commit a homicide. The recent decision against a Milwaukee gun store in the shooting of two Milwaukee police officers has brought the issue of straw purchases of firearms to the forefront. Home Press Releases Dept. This prison term will . "Straw purchasing a firearm is a federal crime with serious consequences," said G. Zachary Terwilliger, U.S. Attorney for the Eastern District of Virginia. All Rights Reserved, Gov. A "Kenosha Guard" militia group on Facebook did issue a "call to arms" ahead of the violenceon August 25. This indictment demonstrates the FBIs commitment to working with our law enforcement and prosecutorial partners to help stop the flow of illegal guns into our neighborhoods., We are going to continue to use the full weight of the Chicago Police Department and U.S. Justice Department to send a clear message that we will not tolerate the proliferation and use of illegal guns in Chicago, said CPD Supt. It is legal to purchase a firearm as a gift for another, since you are actually buying the firearm for yourself to gift to another. For instance, if a father were to buy his son a firearm and didn't plan on being the owner and primary user of the weapon himself, it would qualify as a straw purchase. The two reportedly agreed that Black would keep the gun until Rittenhouse turned 18 in January 2021, according to court testimony. It is legal to purchase a firearm as a gift for another, if you are actually buying the firearm for . The law raises the maximum penalty for the illegal straw purchasing of guns under state law from a $10,000 fine and nine months in jail to six years in prison. He was ordered released on bond, and a status hearing was scheduled for Sept. 17, 2019, before U.S. District Judge John Z. Lee. With other recent changes in the law, straw purchases, and people charged with other gun crimes, now face severe criminal penalties. Email notifications are only sent once a day, and only if there are new matching items. Success! Rockford: (815) 987-4444. He said he had gone downtown the night of August 25, 2020 and dozens of other nights that summer to provide medical aid to anyone in need, regardless of political affiliation. Federally licensed firearm dealers are required to perform background checks for those seeking to buy a firearm. Editor's note: This story has been corrected to make clear in graf 18 that Jacob Blake was shot and he survived. There was an error processing your request. But those background checks and records involve the purchaser of the firearm and not always the ultimate user of the gun. Commercial Contract Review, Drafting, and Negotiation, Employment Contracts and Non-Compete Agreements, Data Breaches / Cybersecurity Civil Defense, Identity Theft / Internet Fraud Charges Defense, Governmental Licensing, Compliance and Administrative Review, Professional Licensing and Disciplinary Defense. Contact Us About Straw Purchases in Texas. A straw purchase is any purchase in which a second person agrees to acquire a firearm for someone else. Section 18 U.S.C. How Can Employers Avoid Accusations of Wrongful Termination? CHICAGO (WLS) -- A Wisconsin man is charged with providing the gun to teenager Kyle Rittenhouse who then allegedly killed two men during the unrest in late August. The campaign was designed to prevent and discourage illegal straw purchases. 1998 - 2023 Nexstar Media Inc. | All Rights Reserved. Instead, Ritchie passed the guns off to Victor Pennington in exchange for meth. CHICAGO A Chicago resident has been sentenced to eight years in federal prison for setting fire to the Boost Mobile Store Eastern Division Rocha was ordered to remain in federal custody pending a detention hearing on Sept. 10, 2019, at 1:30 p.m. Valentine self-surrendered to the Court on Aug. 5, 2019. In sentencing Zastrow, Judge Conley stated that she made a disastrous choice to transfer firearms to a prohibited person and could not ignore the fact that this choice contributed to a womans death. Wisconsin Gov. The prison term will be followed by a three-year term of supervised release. May 19, 2018: Valentine purchased seven handguns from a dealer at Bob and Roccos Gun Show in Onalaska, Wisc. After providing personal information, question 21 - made up of 11 "yes" or "no" sub-questions - begins by asking "Are you the actual transferee/buyer of the firearm (s) listed on this form . In Wisconsin it's illegal for any one under 18 to have any kind of dangerous weapon. In order to complete the purchase of these firearms, she represented that she was the actual buyer of these firearms when in fact she was not. Therefore, if you are being charged with making a straw purchase of a firearm, it is very important to have an experienced criminal defense attorney by your side from the very beginning. . Rittenhouse, 18, was on trial for fatally shooting two men and injuring a third during civil unrest in Kenosha in 2020. Insider debunked six prevalent myths surrounding the high-profile and tense trial. Gifting vs Straw Purchasing. Walker signed the measure bumping up the penalty for an illegal straw purchase of a gun under Wisconsin law from nine months to six years in prison. According to Kyle The Answer to this is no. The charge against Zastrow was the result of an investigation conducted bythe Lincoln County Sheriffs Office, Merrill Police Department, and Federal Bureau of Investigation, with the assistance of the Marshfield Police Department.". Answer (1 of 29): This will just be another embarrassing moment for the left's ridiculous attempts to convict someone for something that was completely legal. . (Photo: Walkers office). In 2012, Pennsylvania established the so-called Brad Fox Law named after a police officer shot in the head by a felon who had illegally purchased a gun through a third party. While this was a misdemeanor charge for a very long time, in 2010 the Wisconsin legislature voted to make straw purchases a felony, punishable by up to 10 years in prison. But a GOP aide involved in the negotiations told The Hill on Sunday that the deal is an agreement on principles, not legislative text and that some of the principles could be dropped if lawmakers do not agree to a final text. This offense is known as a straw purchase. The person Zastrow provided the firearms is prohibited by law from possessing firearms as a result of previous felony convictions and allegedly used one of the firearms purchased by Zastrow to commit a homicide. Judge Conley also reasoned that a prison sentence was warranted given the defendants poor performance on pre-trial release and nominal efforts to confront her methamphetamine addiction. In the first six months of 2018, the pair caused at least 19 handguns to be purchased in Wisconsin and transported to Chicago, where Rocha and others re-sold and distributed them, the indictment states. FOND DU LAC, Wis. - Attorney General Josh Kaul today announced that criminal charges have been filed against Denell Logan for first degree intentional homicide, felon in passion of a firearm, repeater, and possession of THC, repeater. First things first, if you have reasonable cause to believe the person you're gifting a firearm to is prohibited from possessing . One thing is clear; whether you face federal charges or state charges, being accused of making a straw purchase can carry lengthy prison sentences and result in a felony conviction with substantial fines. According to Kenoshanews. There are two federal statutes under which straw purchases are usually prosecuted: 18 U.S.C. Criminals were very aware of these loopholes, said state Sen. Alberta Darling, R-River Hills. If you are being charged with making a straw purchase or with any other gun crime, contact our skilled Milwaukee criminal defense attorneys, who have defended many of these types of cases and are ready to defend you and protect your rights. On January 13, 2022, Zastrow purchased two firearms in Wisconsin Rapids. But as Rittenhouse testified, the teenager drove himself to Kenosha ahead of the protests. Help us combat the proliferation of sexual exploitation crimes against children. At Rosenthal Kalabus & Therrian, our top-rated Collin County criminal lawyers have extensive experience handling federal firearms cases. In sentencing the 32-year-old, Judge Conley stated that she made a disastrous choice to transfer firearms to a prohibited person and could not ignore the fact that this choice contributed to a womans death.
Simchart 84 Post Case Quiz,
David Furner Wife,
Jimmy Stewart Cause Of Death,
Broadwalk Shopping Centre Parking,
Articles S