Weeks before election, NYC mayor unveils $1.5 million gunshow sting

[MiaCulpa]

Source: Raw Story

New York Mayor Michael Bloomberg released videos at 2 p.m. Wednesday that show violations of gun laws in three other states in a sting operation he authorized that cost city taxpayers $1.5 million and comes weeks before his bid for re-election.

The videos show seven gunshows in Ohio, Tennessee and Nevada where some vendors are featured "openly selling weapons to buyers who admitted they couldn't pass background checks," according to the Associated Press.

Supporters of gun control have fought against the "gun show loophole," in which unlicensed dealers can sell guns at trade shows, without performing background checks. New York is one of nine states, the AP reports, that require background checks on firearms sold at guns shows as well.

Nonetheless, federal law prohibits even unlicensed dealers from selling to people they suspect would fail a background check. Bloomberg says his videos show 19 out of 30 of these casual sellers broke that law, by selling to people who suggested they couldn't pass a background check.

Full story at the link...

Read more: http://rawstory.com/2009/10/weeks-before-election-nyc-mayor-unveils-1-5-million-gunshow-sting/

[Hoopla Phil]

1. Isn't he under suit/investigation by some states for possible violation

of the law in doing this? If a state agency mounts a "sting" in another state then are they not in violation of the law where they have NO police powers? Looks kinda fishy to me.

[mdmc]

2. Billionaires make the laws

Mike has it all...

[Captain Hilts]

3. It's better to apologize than to ask permission. nt

[Hoopla Phil]

23. That's true until you cross state lines. I think someone will end up in jail over it.

Probably some low lever fall guy though.

[Captain Hilts]

35. Not going to happen. It's a wonder the Ontario police dept. wasn't also involved.

Guns used to commit crimes in Ontario often come from Virginia.

No one was arrested. So, no big issue.

[Irreverend IX]

4. Way to go, Mikey...

Keep the peasants defenseless while you and your cohorts have 24/7 armed security.

[AlbertCat]

6. Keep the peasants defenseless

People who can't pass background checks and so go to gun shows to get guns illegally are peasants? Don't you mean crooks? They are after all breaking the law...along with the sellers, who are the targets of this operation.

Or are the sellers defenseless peasants?

Who are these peasants afraid of that they feel the need to shoot them?

Is there no need for security for high profile politicians?




I'm just trying to figure out what the hell you're talking about.....

[Pavulon]

20. Only applies to poor people in NYC and SOCAL

you make the right "donations" and that hard to get paper becomes shall issue. all about the dollars.

[onehandle]

5. Gun shows are where the next McVeigh lives.

Just like the original.

[AlbertCat]

7. And probably where his dad took him when he was young.

[Lance_Boyle]

8. How is NYPD conducting "stings" in other states?

Would be kinda funny if just one of those states had a provision against recording conversations without both parties' consent and Mikey's NYPD goons got slapped down.

[Fire_Medic_Dave]

14. Somehow I doubt the people that wanted ACORN to sue will feel the same in this case.

[Hoopla Phil]

24. Simple, they do it illegally. One state CANNOT conduct law enforcement in another.

[EmeraldCityGrl]

9. I'm more afraid of men like Bloomberg

than unlicensed gun owners. Bloomberg needs to keep his politics n his own city.

[high density]

10. Why don't you worry about your own city.

Kthx. NYC laws do not apply to other states. And if federal law has been violated, it is up to the Feds to prosecute that, not the mayor of NYC.

[geckosfeet]

12. He is worried about his city - and the illegaly obtained guns that show up there.

Bloomberg said on the site that he authorized the investigation because the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco and Firearms reports that "89% of guns used in crimes in New York City last year originated out of state."

[Pavulon]

19. so were the 89% of those triggered pulled by non new yorkers?

if not this is just dazzling the stupid with bullshit rather than brilliance. root cause is much harder to fix.

[geckosfeet]

29. Throwing feces again?

Point is to keep the guns out of the city.

But you don't really give a rats hairy ass about the city do you.

[Pavulon]

32. These happening in midtown? round the park?

i bet not. My recollection was that crime in NY like most places follows poverty and drugs.

[Hoopla Phil]

25. Cause it's easier to blame someone else for his problems.

[geckosfeet]

11. Great. Defending illegal gun sales. Bloomberg is after people who commit of crimes

with illegally obtained guns.

And you're bitchin.

Very nice.

[Fire_Medic_Dave]

13. Why didn't they have the dealers arrested? If they were breaking the law.

[divideandconquer]

15. NYC is one of the few places to put a dent in crime

and strong gun laws are big part of it.

[Fire_Medic_Dave]

16. So why didn't they have the illegal dealers arrested?

[geckosfeet]

17. Private investigators did the study. And probably an issue about interstate jurisdiction.

Figures to see you lining up on the illegal gun sale side.

Good for Bloomberg for trying to show how illegal guns get into NY.

[Pavulon]

18. easier to bamboozle than fix root cause..

gun control is the mark of a moron. Like the happy drug warriors and prohibition folks before them. They are all addressing the smoke, not the fire.

[geckosfeet]

28. Pfffft. And kindly enlighten us all as to what the 'fire' is, or is it a big secret?

[Pavulon]

33. Easy to say, hard for pols to do..

50% of shootings are suicide, that can be mitigated with quality and free mental health care. Getting close there.. Real treatment, not 3 day and your out shit.
Next drug law. The majority of people shot are soldiers in a drug war, violence fought over cash brought in by illegal drugs. Legalize all drug sales and regulate the trade. Then many impoverished communities are no longer destroyed by violence and minorities and poor no longer housed in a massive prison system.

Random violence will not disappear but the majority of shootings can be addressed.

That is why places like zurich are not free fire zones while people have access to weapons.

[Fire_Medic_Dave]

31. So asking why they don't arrest those they have on tape breaking the law is siding w/ illegal sales?

That's some interesting logic you have there.

[Hoopla Phil]

36. Correction, Private investigators engaged in straw purchases and broke Federal law

why are you apposed to their prosecution.

[geckosfeet]

41. What law did they break? Did they resell? Did they use fake names?

Please - illuminate.

[friendly_iconoclast]

37. Bloomberg is either a felon, or this is a publicity stunt.

If the buyers shown on video were actually prohibited from buying firearms, and Bloomberg arranged the deals, it's
a conspiracy to commit a Federal felony

Unless the buyers were accredited LEO's, Bloomberg is guilty of conspiracy.

Of course, the buyers may not have been prohibited, in which case this is a publicity stunt.

[friendly_iconoclast]

39. IOW: "It was neccesary to engage in illegal gun trafficking in order to demonstrate...

...the danger of illegal gun trafficking."

Amirite?

[WriteDown]

21. Chicago's laws are even more stringent, yet crime runs

rampant there. Why?

[high density]

27. Obviously Chicago needs to throw a few million on sting operations in other states

That would fix everything.

[geckosfeet]

30. Let me guess. Illegal guns?

[Pavulon]

34. Like illegal hookers and illegal weed and crack..

illegal seems to be rather pointless in actually changing a determined persons behavior.

[geckosfeet]

40. Now I could see legalizing prostitution. Not sure about crack.

[Hoopla Phil]

26. He is doing it illegally himself. When you break the law to enforce the law

the exclusionary rule comes into play. The only people that will end up in jail over this is Bloomberg's lackey's.

[friendly_iconoclast]

38. Like the people working for him? That's a felony, you know.

Of course, none of them might actually be prohibited from buying firearms.

Which makes this whole thing a publicity stunt to make the overly credible think Mayor Mike is 'tough on crime'

One that apparently worked...

[S_B_Jackson]

22. Bloomberg should be very cautious....

in his last "sting" effort, his private investigators falsified their Form 4473s which should have result in a sentence of 5 years in club FED and a fine up to $25,000.00 PER OFFENSE, IIRC. And as the investigators were acting at Bloomberg's direction and with his prior knowledge he could have been charged as an accessory to said felony, and Conspiracy to Commit a Federal Felony. And RICO statutes could be used against him as well.

Good thing for Mikey that Eric Holder is now AG.....because he'll never support a prosecution for these crimes....though Bloomberg and his investigators should be charged.