Feds shoot down Bloomberg's gun suit (threads merged)

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dk-corriveau

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Finnally, some good news for the good guys! I LOVE IT! :D


I put this in general so everyone can get the good news!

________________________________________________________________
New York Daily News
Feds shoot down Mike's gun suit
BY MICHAEL SAUL
DAILY NEWS CITY HALL BUREAU CHIEF
Thursday, February 8th, 2007

The federal government will not file criminal charges against any of
the 15 out-of-state gun dealers accused by Mayor Bloomberg in a
federal lawsuit of selling guns illegally, the Daily News has learned.

In a stern rebuke to the city's high-profile crusade against illegal
guns, the feds warned the Bloomberg administration that it could face
"potential legal liabilities" if it continues to conduct sting
operations that fall within the jurisdiction of federal agents.

Bloomberg announced the filing of a federal lawsuit last May against
15 gun dealers, who he lambasted as the "worst of the worst." The
city later filed a similar lawsuit against another 12 dealers.

In both cases, the city sent private investigators to gun dealers and
secretly videotaped them making what Bloomberg called illegal "straw
purchases."

A "straw purchase" refers to when an individual talks with a store
clerk about purchasing a gun, but then gets another person to fill
out the required federal forms and undergo the mandatory background
check.

According to a letter sent to City Hall, the Bureau of Alcohol,
Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives and various U.S. attorneys' offices
have determined the city's findings against the 15 dealers "do not
rise to a level that would support a criminal prosecution."

The letter - sent Tuesday by Michael Battle, director of the
executive office for United States Attorneys at the Department of
Justice - also scolded City Hall for engaging in sting operations
involving persons "without proper law enforcement authority," saying
that could put the city in legal jeopardy. Battle added that City
Hall could "unintentionally interrupt or jeopardize" criminal probes.

Asked if the Bloomberg administration plans to stop conducting the
sting operations, Deputy Mayor Ed Skyler said, "Not necessarily."

"The city hasn't violated any laws," Skyler said defiantly, adding
that the city will continue to pursue its civil lawsuits against the
gun dealers.
 
I'm not sure I understand. Straw purchases are indeed illegal. So the fact that Bloomberg was defeated on this issue is a good thing how?

I'm not trying to be a wisen-heimer. Just curious, as I do not know any other details about this story.
 
I wonder where they got this definition...:rolleyes:

A "straw purchase" refers to when an individual talks with a store clerk about purchasing a gun, but then gets another person to fill out the required federal forms and undergo the mandatory background check.
Click to expand...
 
I'm not sure I understand. Straw purchases are indeed illegal. So the fact that Bloomberg was defeated on this issue is a good thing how?
Click to expand...

He instigated straw purchases or, often, what had to be construed as straw purchases, in order to generate claims for a lawsuit.

Basically, he conspired to commit federal crimes in order to have a stick to beat over the heads of dealers.
 
Not only what buzz said, but he didn't just do it in his own city (if he even "stung" and NYC dealers at all)....or his own STATE!

He went to OTHER states to pull his crap, endangering the investigations and possibly LIVES of people that actually have the AUTHORITY to do what he was doing! :cuss:
 
yeah and we throw border patrol agents in jail for doing their job, but let idiots like bloomberg run amuck...

:uhoh:

Edit:

Being my 500th post, I should have said something cooler... :neener:
 
Yeah I went back to read the story again and realized I had rolled past the "out-of-state" phrase. That, alone, certainly raises a lot of suspicion regarding his intentions.

I didn't realize that the alleged "straw purchases" were made by Bloomberg investigators either. The way I originally read it was that the investigators witnessed the illegal purchases.

Sorry for my retardedness...

Certainly doesn't look very favorable for him.
 
yeah and we throw border patrol agents in jail for doing their job, but let idiots like bloomberg run amuck...

Edit:

Being my 500th post, I should have said something cooler...
Click to expand...

It's a fine "milestone" post to me! The more we point out how bass-ackwards this country is going, hopefully more people will get inspired to try and fix it! :cool:
 
"The city hasn't violated any laws," Skyler said defiantly
Click to expand...

Pardon my French, but what an a******. Has the world lost it's collective mind?? We can break the law and trick other people into "breaking the law" and it's their fault? Enough to drive you crazy...
 
The city didn't break any laws.

It paid private investigators to do it. (They should be in jail for it, too.)

Just like Al Capone never killed anyone.
 
I'm assuming the feds are pissed because Bloomberg is stepping on investigations they themselves are running.
 
Bloomberg for PreZidorkt

Bloomberg, Bloomberg...
He's our man...
If he can't botch it...
No one can!

Go Dorks!!!!!!!!!!!!! Yeah!!!!!!!!!!!!

:p​
 
I dunno, the more I read into it the more it sounds like a slap on the wrist...

"We MIGHT POSSIBLY consider legal action against NYC *if* you keep on doing this...maybe." :rolleyes:

But then again with the Dep. Mayor STILL figuratively giving the fedgov the finger by saying they're gonna keep on doing it, maybe the feds'll drop the hammer on Bloomberg to save some face! :D

Feh...then again, Nagin's gun-grabbing PD has ALSO thumbed their nose at the law and said they'll do illegal gun confiscations again if given a chance too. and see how hard THEY'VE been punished....:barf:
 
Criminal vs Civil

It says the Criminal cases are dead, GL with the civil suits, let us know how that turns out Bloomer Man

Morcoth
 
Note that it's not illegal for me to go to a gun shop with a friend, have him chat with the owner about the relative merits of different guns, and then buy the gun myself while he waits in the car. Maybe he's a gun enthusiast and I just want a pistol for home defense, so I want him to choose the thing for me.

It's only illegal if he buys the gun for me, as in I pay for it and take possession of it, and I am not legally allowed to buy it myself.

It may be that F Troop can't really get these guys on anything.
 
A few years back Jim Ryan, the Dupage County (IL) States Attorney tried to run a similiar sting on Internet gun sales. The sellers were trying to follow the law ("No, you have to give me a name a of your FFL No, I cannot ship a gun straight to you, etc, etc.") Several sellers (IIRC, they were FFL's themselves and some had even recorded the conversations.) complained to the BATF about "people trying to circumvent the law" that the BATF open investigations on these buyers (based on info provided by the sellers) and lo, and behold it turned out that they all worked in the DuPage Cty States Attorney's Office. Jim Ryan got slapped pretty hard by the BATF getting told that 1) Gun sales are the purview of the BATF and 2) Coercing someone to do what they knew to be illegal is called entrapment and will not fly in court.

I hope the BATF gives Bloomie his comeuppance.
 
"The city hasn't violated any laws," Skyler said defiantly, adding
that the city will continue to pursue its civil lawsuits against the
gun dealers.
Click to expand...

Please, by all means, piss off the BATFE. Just keep thumbing your nose at them, and see what happens. Please.
 
Whether it makes any difference to Bloomberg or not, I'm impressed and pleased! I've said several times in a couple of forums that NOTHING would happen. This goes way beyond what I expected!
Marty
 
>I dunno, the more I read into it the more it
> sounds like a slap on the wrist...

Even if that's all that comes out of it, it's much more than I expected!
Marty
 
I don't think its as bad as a slap on the wrist!

Instead, its politics as usual........people with money,influence, and position get off scot free while the rest of end up getting the screws put to us!

The next time this happens the feds are probably going to put them in a corner and "give them a time out" just like you do with little kids!

Thats about all the punishment they're gonna get IMO! The gov't practices restraint with these clowns and pulls out all the stops to prosecute us!
 
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