recommendations for executive action to combat illegal gun trafficking and gun crime

7/28/2019 Recommendations for Executive Action to Combat Illegal Gun Trafficking and Gun Crime

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1 Center or American Progress | Recommendations or Executive Action to Combat Illegal Gun Traicking and Gun Crime

Recommendations for Executive

Action to Combat Illegal GunTrafficking and Gun Crime

Arkadi Gerney and Chelsea Parsons June 10, 2013

Te U.S. Senae voe on April 17, 2013, deeaed a proposal o expand background

checks or gun purchases. I was only he rs round in he newly invigoraed move-

men o enac common-sense legislaion o reduce gun violence in our counry. Andwhile he moderae biparisan proposal ailed o gain he 60 voes necessary o over-

come a libuser, a majoriy o senaors voed in avor o his legislaion, which has

overwhelming public suppor in all corners o he counry.1 Eors are underway o

gaher more suppor or his legislaion and proponens are hopeul ha he measure

will ulimaely be enaced.

In he meanime, here are a number o acions Presiden Barack Obama can ake ha

do no require approval by Congress. Te presiden began his process in January 2013

by signing 23 execuive acions o address gun violence in he Unied Saes, including

measures o ensure ha more records are provided o he Naional Insan CriminalBackground Check Sysem, nominaing a direcor or he Bureau o Alcohol, obacco,

Firearms and Explosives, and direcing he Ceners or Disease Conrol o resume

research ino gun violence.2 We urge he adminisraion o ake addiional acions using

is exising auhoriy boh o improve he ederal governmens abiliy o preven danger-

ous individuals rom acquiring or possessing guns and o enhance law-enorcemen

invesigaions o gun-relaed crime.

1. Develop a risk-assessment instrument to identify denied gun

purchasers who are most at risk for future violence

In 2012 he FBI denied 88,479 applicaions o purchase rearms because he appli-

can was banned under ederal law rom buying or possessing guns.3 Since he

Naional Insan Criminal Background Check Sysem, or NICS, became operaional in

November 1998, 58 percen o denials were due o he applican having been conviced

o a elony, and an addiional 14 percen were due o he applican having a domesic-


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violence misdemeanor convicion or a domesic-violence resraining order.4 Each o

hese atemped purchases is a crime, bu ederal law enorcemen rarely chooses o

pursue hese cases. In 2010, or example, 72,659 gun sales were denied by NICS, a oal

o 1.2 percen o all NICS background checks. Aer urher review and invesigaion by

he Bureau o Alcohol, obacco, Firearms and Explosives, or AF, only 63 o hese deni-

als were ulimaely reerred o he U.S. atorney or prosecuion, and charges were led

in only 44 cases.5 Tis low prosecuion rae or hese lie-and-ry-o-buy cases has per-sised across adminisraions.6 While ederal prosecuors commenced criminal acions

agains nearly 8,700 deendans in 2012 or oher gun-relaed crimes, such as possession

o a rearm by a prohibied person or using a gun in urherance o a v iolen crime,7 he

ederal governmen should develop a risk-assessmen insrumen o beter prioriize and

bring more lie-and-ry-o-buy cases or prosecuion.

Litle is known abou he more han 2 million insances since November 1998 in which

individuals were prevened rom purchasing guns because o a ederal prohibior. AF

has an enire uni devoed o invesigaing hese denied saleshe Denial Enorcemen

and NICS Inelligence Branch, or DENI Branch. Tese invesigaions are no inormed,however, by a comprehensive review o which NICS denials are mos associaed

wih individuals who go on o acquire guns in he privae marke and commi uure

crimes.8 Te inormaion abou hese blocked sales and he prohibied individuals who

atemped o buy guns could be used o help inorm a sudy o he requency or preva-

lence o uure violen crimes, paricularly gun-relaed crimes, commited by individuals

barred rom gun ownership.

Te AF DENI Branch should parner wih he FBI o underake a comprehensive

sudy o all 2 million denied gun purchases since 1998 o deermine how many indi-

viduals blocked rom purchasing guns wen on o commi uure violen crimes, wih aparicular ocus on subsequen gun-relaed crimes. Using he daa gahered in his sudy,

AF and he FBI should develop a risk-assessmen process or use by AF and he U.S.

atorney o assis in deermining which atemped sales cases should be prioriized or

prosecuion. AF and he FBI should also publish a repor wih he aggregaed ndings

o his sudy o assis local law enorcemen in making similar decisions regarding which

oenders o arge or urher invesigaion and prosecuion.

2. Establish an aler t system for failed background checks

Alhough lie-and-ry-o-buy cases are generally o low prioriy o ederal prosecuors,

sae and local police and prosecuors oen have a grea ineres in learning abou which

prohibied individuals in heir communiies are rying o buy guns, paricularly elons

and domesic abusers. Te acquisiion o rearms by such individuals poses a disinc

risk o public saey in hose communiies; local law enorcemen should be inormed

when such individuals have atemped o buy guns so ha hey can decide wheher


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o pursue sae-law criminal charges, iniiae invesigaions, or keep an eye on hese

individuals or signs o uure criminal aciviy. In 2009 Mayors Agains Illegal Guns

recommended an alering process or background-check denials.9 And since hen law-

enorcemen sources repor ha he FBI has implemened a procedure o aler sae and

local law enorcemen when ugiives atemp o purchase rearms, a group ha makes

up abou 9.8 percen o NICS denials.10 Te FBI should develop a similar elecronic

aler sysem o advise local law enorcemen when any individual in heir jurisdicionseeks o purchase a gun bu has been blocked rom doing so because hey are prohibied

under ederal law rom rearm possession.

In addiion o reporing all blocked purchases o local law enorcemen, he FBI should

develop proocols or reerring inormaion o oher sae and local auhoriies abou

cerain sales. Sae menal-healh auhoriies, or example, should be noied when an

individual prohibied rom gun ownership because o menal illness atemps o buy a

gun. Such an atemped purchase should raise a red ag ha he individual may be an

imminen risk o himsel or o ohers, and he appropriae local law-enorcemen or

menal-healh auhoriies should check in on his person. Likewise, individuals blockedrom buying a gun who ideniy as college sudens or lis a college campus as heir

address should be repored o campus police. Again, hese atemped purchases may

raise a red ag ha a suden prohibied rom rearm possession poenially poses a risk

o sel or o overall campus saey.

3. Conduct background checks of gun-dealer employees

Individuals prohibied under ederal law rom buying or possessing guns are likewise

prohibied rom working or a ederally licensed gun dealer in any capaciy ha involveshandling guns. Gun dealers, however, are no currenly required o conduc background

checks as par o he hiring process o deermine wheher prospecive employees are

banned rom rearm possession under ederal law. And in ac, here have been numer-

ous cases o prohibied individuals working behind he couner a gun dealers. In Augus

2012, or example, ederal invesigaors arresed an Augusa, Kansas, gun dealer when

her husband, a conviced elon, was caugh repeaedly selling guns a he sore and on

behal o he sore a gun shows.11

AF should use he NICS sysem o incorporae background checks o all employees as

par o he more han 13,000 gun-dealer audi inspecions conduced each year. Doing so

would help ensure ha prohibied individuals don have easy and unetered access o guns.

AF should also encourage gun dealers o volunarily conduc background checks o

employees using he NICS sysem. Some gun reailers, including Walmar, volunarily

conduc checks on all gun-handling employees, and he gun-indusry lobbyhe

Naional Shooing Spors Foundaionrecommends ha dealers volunarily conduc


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such checks.12 AF should advise all gun dealers o he availabiliy o NICS o conduc

background checks o curren and prospecive employees. As par o his lis o 23 execu-

ive acions on guns announced in January 2013, he presiden direced AF o advise

gun dealers ha hey are permited o perorm background checks o assis individu-

als engaged in privae sales.13 On January 16 AF issued an open leter o all ederally

licensed gun dealers encouraging hem o perorm background checks or such privae

sales and has provided deailed guidance regarding how o perorm such checks and heapplicable recordkeeping requiremens or hese ransacions.14 AF should issue a simi-

lar leter inorming gun dealers ha hey may use NICS o perorm background checks

o curren and prospecive employees and develop proocols o enable and encourage

such checks.

4. Verify the validity of a purchasers identification document as part of

every NICS check

Individuals are required o provide proo o ideniy when applying o buy a rearm.Tere is no mechanism in place, however, or veriying ha he idenicaion docu-

men provided is, in ac, valid and properly possessed by he individual. Tis gap in

he background-check sysem allows prohibied individuals o easily circumven he

ederal law by purchasing rearms using a orged or ake idenicaion documen. A

General Accouning Ofce, or GAO, invesigaion in 2001 highlighed his weakness in

he background-check sysem: Invesigaors were able o buy guns in ve saes using

counerei drivers licenses.15

Te FBI should incorporae an insan check o he validiy o he proered sae-issued

idenicaion documen as par o every NICS check, in much he same way as heE-Veriy sysem checks inormaion provided on I-9 Employmen Eligibiliy Vericaion

orms agains daa in he Deparmen o Homeland Securiy and he Social Securiy

adminisraion sysems.16 By linking sae moor-vehicle daabases wih NICS, or example,

he FBI could easily and quickly assess he validiy o drivers licenses oered by prospec-

ive purchasers, hus eliminaing an easy avenue or prohibied individuals o buy guns

rom dealers. Mayors Agains Illegal Guns made a similar recommendaion in 2009.17

Criminal gun dealers can also hide illegal gun sales by alsiying inormaion in heir

records, including by lising ciious individuals as legiimae gun buyers in he paper-

work hey are required o keep. AF should also check he validiy o he ideniy o

purchasers lised in a dealers records as par o each audi inspecion.


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5. Require manufacturers to put multiple serial numbers on guns

AF regulaions require ha every gun manuacurer imprin a unique serial number on

each gun i produces.18 Tis serial number serves a number o purposes, including allow-

ing or he manuacurer o ensure qualiy conrol wihin he manuacuring process.

Bu more imporanly, hese serial numbers allow AF o race guns ound by local law

enorcemen a crime scenes. AF uses he serial number o ideniy he manuacurero he gun, who in urn uses he serial number o ideniy he gun dealer o which i

was originally shipped. AF can hen reach ou o ha gun dealer, who can check heir

records o ideniy he individual who rs purchased he gun. Tis provides a crucial

lead or law enorcemen atemping o ideniy he individual who may have been

involved in he crime.

Unorunaely, savvy criminals know he power o he serial number and oen go o

grea lenghs o deace i or o remove i enirely rom he gun. When he serial number

has been deaced in his way, he gun becomes nearly impossible o race. Daa rom he

2000 Youh Crime Gun Inerdicion Iniiaive epor examining crime guns recoveredin eigh jurisdicions revealed ha nearly 10 percen o race requess rom hose juris-

dicions involved handguns wih parially or ully oblieraed serial numbers.19 Indeed,

he recen case o he Boson Marahon bombers provides an example o his prob-

lem: Te serial number was led o he gun used o kill a campus police ofcer a he

Massachusets Insiue o echnology, or MI, making i subsanially more difcul

i no impossibleo race.20

AF has he auhoriy under exising law o require licensed imporers and manuac-

urers o ideniy all guns wih a serial number placed on he receiver or rame in such

manner as he Atorney General shall by regulaions prescribe.21

Te Obama adminis-raion should use his auhoriy o issue a new regulaion requiring manuacurers and

imporers o place a second serial number on each gun in a hidden or difcul-o-access

locaion. Some manuacurers have begun volunarily placing he serial number in

muliple places on he gun, a measure ha makes i more difcul or criminals o com-

pleely eradicae his inormaion rom he gun and render i unraceable.

6. Expand multiple-sale reporting

Federal law requires gun dealers o repor o AF when an individual purchases more

han wo handguns in a ve-day period.22 Such reporing is a crucial law-enorcemen

ool, as such muliple purchases are a srong indicaor o illegal gun rafcking.23 Similar

reporing is no required, however, or muliple sales o long gunsa caegory o

rearms ha includes ries and shogunsdespie he ac ha many such guns are

illegally rafcked and used in crimes.24 In 2011 he Obama adminisraion aced o

parially ll his gap by using exising sauory auhoriy given o AF o require gun


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dealers o provide inormaion regarding cerain gun sales on demand.25 Invoking his

demand leter auhoriy, he adminisraion began o require gun dealers in our souh-

ern border saes o repor whenever an individual buys more han one semiauomaic

rie wihin a ve-day period.26 Tis reporing requiremen has been a key ool in he

gh agains gun rafcking by Mexican drug carels: During he rs eigh monhs ha

he new reporing requiremen was in eec, AF iniiaed 120 invesigaions based on

repors o muliple sales o long guns and recommended prosecuion o more han 100deendans in 25 separae cases.27

Te Chrismas Eve ambush o reghers in Webser, New York, provides an example

o how ailure o repor muliple sales o long guns limis law enorcemens abiliy o

preven gun crimes. Ta case involved a muliple purchase ha included an assaul rie

by a sraw purchaseran individual who buys a gun on behal o someone who canno

legally buy a rearm.28 Had he purchase involved muliple handguns, he circumsances

o he sale may have riggered a sraw-purchase invesigaion by AF, and he sraw

purchaser may have been caugh illegally ranserring he assaul rie o he elon who

ambushed he reghersheading o he atack. Bu because he muliple purchaseinvolved an assaul rie, i wen unrepored o he bureau, which allowed he sraw pur-

chaserand hereore he elono avoid invesigaion prior o he atack.

Te adminisraion should expand he muliple-sale-reporing requiremen o help

address he problem o illegal gun rafcking o assaul ries. Specically, AF should

issue a new demand leter insrucing all ederally licensed dealers o repor he ollow-

ing sales o AF: (1) muliple sales o assaul ries by any dealer linked o more han

ve crime-gun races in he prior year; and (2) muliple sales involving ries ha accep

a deachable magazine and are capable o ring a round larger han a .22 caliber or any

acical shogun wih a pisol grip.

7. Penalize states that fail to provide records to NICS

Federal law prohibis nine caegories o dangerous individuals rom buying or possess-

ing guns, including elons, domesic abusers, and ugiives.29 Tis law is inended o

proec he public rom gun violence bu is only eecive i i is suppored by an efcien

sysem or checking he background o each poenial purchaser. Te FBI has operaed

NICS since 1998 or his purpose. Since ha ime, NICS has been used o perorm more

han 168 million background checks30 and o block sales o more han 2 million prohib-

ied purchasers.31

Bu NICS is only as good as he records ha are conained wihin i. And hisorically,

saes have been slow o submi all relevan records o he FBI or inclusion in NICS,

paricularly records peraining o individuals prohibied rom rearm ownership due o

menal illness. A GAO repor ound ha in 2004 only around 126,000 records per-


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aining o individuals disqualied rom gun ownership due o menal illness had been

submited by he saes or inclusion in NICS.32 Following he mass shooing a Virginia

ech in 2007 by an individual who should have been prevened rom buying a gun

because o menal illness, Congress passed he NICS Improvemen Amendmens Ac

o 2007, or NIAA , which provides incenives or saes o submi hese records.33 Tis

law gives he atorney general he discreion o wihhold a percenage o ederal gran

unds oherwise due o a sae i he sae ails o provide a signican number o heserecords o he FBI or inclusion in NICS.34 Following enacmen o he NIAA , here

has been a subsanial increase in he number o menal-healh records submited o

NICSrom nearly 300,000 in 200635 o more han 2.2 million oday.36 Tis progress,

however, represens he eors o only some saes: 18 saes have sill submited ewer

han 100 menal-healh records o NICS.37 Tis indicaes ha he hrea o a discre-

ionary loss o unding is no a big enough sick o induce all o he saes o sar

submiting more o hese records.

Since he NIAA wen ino eec, he atorney general has ye o exercise he discreion

o penalize saes or ailing o submi he required records o NICS. Te adminisra-ion should insruc he atorney general o begin wihholding his gran unding o

saes ha reuse o immediaely begin o submi he required menal-healh records

o NICS, unless he sae can demonsrae o he atorney general ha exraordinary

circumsances are prevening submission. While he saue gives he atorney general

he discreion o wihhold hese unds, he adminisraion should make i clear ha his

discreion should be exercised absen such a special showing by a sae.

8. Make disarming prohibited domestic abusers a priority

While ederal law prohibis domesic-violence misdemeanans and individuals subjec

o cerain domesic-violence resraining orders rom buying or possessing guns, ederal

and sae law-enorcemen agencies have largely ailed o enorce his prohibiion and

ensure ha hese individuals are relieved o any guns in heir possession. Some saes

have enaced laws or policies o help aciliae surrender o rearms by hese individu-

als,38 bu hese laws are oen poorly enorced.39

Te ailure o disarm domesic abusers can have devasaing consequences or vicims.

An invesigaion byTe New York imes in March 2013 ound ha over he pas decade

in Washingon sae, a leas ve women were sho and killed less han a monh aer

obaining proecion orders.40 In a leas six oher insances in he sae, a person subjec

o a resraining order sho and killed a person oher han he person proeced by he

resraining order.41 Anoher invesigaion byTe New York imes ound ha since 2011

more han 50 people in Washingon sae wih proecion orders agains hem were

arresed on gun charges, and in Minnesoa, more han 30 people wih proecion orders

were conviced o an assaul wih a dangerous weapon over he pas hree years.42


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Te experience o one couny in Caliorniaa sae ha requires individuals o sur-

render any guns in heir possession wihin 24 hours o being served wih a emporary

resraining orderhighlighs he eeciveness o rearm-surrender proocol in reducing

gun violence in domesic-violence siuaions. San Maeo Couny has insiued deailed

proocol o ensure he surrender o rearms rom hese individuals, and here has no

been a domesic-violence gun homicide in he couny in he pas hree years.43

AF leads regional ask orces around he counry hrough is Projec Sae

Neighborhoods program, in which AF agens work collaboraively wih ohers in ed-

eral, sae, and local law enorcemen o reduce gun-relaed crime.44 Te adminisraion

should direc AF o work wih local law-enorcemen parners in hese Projec Sae

Neighborhood ask orces o develop proocols or conscaing rearms rom prohib-

ied domesic abusers. Addiionally, AF should designae one agen in each eld ofce

o be a domesic-violence specialis o help ensure ha his proocol is being properly

implemened and o immediaely address any domesic-violence-relaed issues ha arise

in he local communiy.45

9. Incentivize gun-dealer inventory checks

AFs primary ool o ensure ha ederally licensed gun dealers are in compliance

wih laws and regulaions is o conduc regular inspecions o hese businesses. One

o he mos imporan pars o an AF inspecion o gun dealers is an invenory check

o ensure ha he dealer can accoun or every gun ha has passed hrough is doors.

In he even ha dealers canno accoun or large numbers o guns ha should be in

heir invenory, a red ag is raised o AF ha illegal gun sales may be occurring. Guns

repored as los or solen end up a crime scenes in large numbers,46

indicaing ha hisis a common way or guns o be divered ino criminal hands.

Despie he imporance o regular inspecions, curren AF resources limi he agencys

abiliy o conduc an inspecion o each gun dealer more requenly han around once

every ve years.47 One way o ll he gap in he inrequen inspecions would be o

require gun dealers o regularly check heir invenory agains heir sales and ceriy o

AF ha all guns are accouned or. Because licensed gun dealers are required under

ederal law o repor los or solen guns o AF,48 keeping an invenory would be an

eecive way o ensuring ha missing guns are promply idenied and repored o law

enorcemen. Since 2004, however, AF has been prohibied rom requiring ederally

licensed gun dealers rom conducing an annual check o heir invenory o ensure ha

all rearms are accouned or. Tis prohibiion akes he orm o a rider in he annual

appropriaions legislaion and is one o he so-called iahr Amendmens backed by he

Naional ie Associaion, or NR, ha serve o hamsring he ederal governmens

abiliy o regulae he rearms indusry.49


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In he absence o he abiliy o require dealers o regularly check heir invenory, he

adminisraion should creae an incenive or gun dealers o volunary conduc annual

invenory checks and ceriy o AF ha all guns are accouned or. AF should creae

a orm or dealers o volunarily repor, under penaly o perjury, ha hey have checked

heir invenory and accouned or all rearms. AF should also creae a orm or dealers

o volunarily repor ha hey conduced an audi o he records hey are required by

law o mainain regarding he acquisiion and disposiion o every gun in heir invenory,and eiher ceriy ha no errors were ound or disclose any errors discovered. Volunary

provision o hese cericaion orms would be one acor AF would consider in deer-

mining which dealers should receive an exensive AF audi each year.

10. Impose tighter restrictions on dealer inventory liquidations

following a license revocation

AF has he auhoriy o revoke a gun dealers license or repeaed violaions o ed-

eral rearms laws. evoking a dealers license is inended o sop he individual romconinuing o sell rearms in a manner ha violaes he law. When a dealers license is

revoked, however, he dealer is permited o ranser heir invenory ino heir personal

collecion and hen coninue selling hese guns as a privae seller. Dealers are permited

o do his even i hese privae sales rom heir newly augmened personal collecions

rise o he volume o sales ha normally pu a seller in he caegory o being engaged in

he business o selling guns and hereore require a ederal license.50 Tis pracice was

condoned by he Deparmen o Jusice, or DOJ, in an opinion issued in 2006.51 Te

resul o his opinion is ha ormer gun dealers who demonsraed ha hey were no

responsible sellers by virue o heir violaions o ederal laws may coninue high-volume

gun sales as privae sellers, only now hey can do so wihou being required o perormbackground checks.52

Tis inerpreaion o he law is a odds wih a common-sense reading o he saue and

creaes a signican risk o public saey. Te purpose o revoking a gun dealers license

is o preven ha individualwho has demonsraed hey are incapable o ollowing

ederal laws designed o proec public saey and ensure ha guns don end up in he

wrong handsrom coninuing o sell guns. Permiting such individuals o coninue

selling guns as privae sellers compleely undermines he punishmen o revoking he

license. Some o hese so-called re saleswhen dealers lose heir ederal rearms

license bu coninue o sell o heir invenory as privae sellershave involved hun-

dreds o guns. When AF revoked he license or he owners o Valley Gun in Balimore,

Maryland, in 2006 aer nding more han 900 violaions o ederal regulaionsinclud-

ing hundreds o missing gunshe owner was permited o sell more han 700 guns

ha remained in he sore invenory as a privae seller.53 Te DOJ should issue a revised

opinion clariying ha a gun dealer who has had his license revoked may no engage in


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privae sales a a volume ha consiues engaging in he business, bu raher mus liqui-

dae large quaniies o invenory by selling o oher licensed dealers.

11. Inspect dealer inventory for stolen guns

Many gun dealers and licensed pawnshops buy guns rom privae individuals. W henhey do so, hey are required o keep a record o he purchase, including he name and

address o he seller, in he same manner as when hey acquire guns in heir invenory

rom a licensed manuacurer or disribuor. Dealers have no way o veriying, however,

ha he used guns hey are purchasing have no been repored as solen. Such guns hen

remain unwitingly hidden in dealer invenories and he criminals responsible or pu-

ing hem here go unpunished wih money in heir pockes.

AF should iniiae a rial program o incorporae checks o used-gun invenories ino

some audi inspecions o look or solen guns. By crosschecking used guns in a dealers

invenory wih he FBI daabase o solen guns, AF will be able o ideniy wheher anyo hese guns have been repored solen and conduc an invesigaion ino he individual

who sold he gun o he dealer. Doing such checks or solen guns in dealer invenory

will also allow AF o gaher inelligence, rs abou he ypes o dealers who are arges

or criminals o unload solen guns, and second abou local criminal neworks. Tis

inelligence could hen be used o arge gun hieves or invesigaion.

12. Form a joint task force with ATF and the FBI to investigate Internet-

facilitated gun crimes

Te Inerne has creaed a virually unregulaed markeplace or guns, one in which

individuals banned rom rearm possession under ederal law can easily purchase

guns rom privae sellers who adverise online and are no required o conduc a back-

ground check. A recen invesigaion byTe New York imes ound ha 94 percen

o ads or guns on he mos popular websies were posed by such privae sellers.54

And while privae sellers are sil l required o ollow he ederal law by reusing o sell

a gun when hey have reason o believe he recipien is prohibied rom gun owner-

ship, here is litle o no oversigh by law enorcemen o ensure ha illegal sales are

no occurring. An invesigaion o gun sales online conduced by Mayors Agains

Illegal Guns in 2011 ound ha 62 percen o online sellers invesigaed agreed o sell

a gun o an individual who indicaed ha hey would no be able o pass a background

check.55 Tere have been numerous incidens in which prohibied individuals easily,

and illegally, bough guns online and subsequenly using hem o commi heinous

crimes. In 2012, or example, adclie Houghon, a domesic abuser who was banned

rom gun ownership because o a resraining order issued agains him, bough a gun

online ha he used o shoo and kill his esranged wie and wo o her co-workers.56


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Similarly, in 2011 Dmiry Smirnov, a Canadian who was prohibied rom gun owner-

ship in he Unied Saes because o his immigraion saus, bough a gun online rom

a privae seller, hen salked and killed his ormer girlriend.57

Some privae sellers are likely violaing oher ederal laws on hese websies as well, such

as he requiremen ha an individual who is engaged in he business o selling guns

seek a ederal rearms license rom AF.58 Te New York imes invesigaion ound morehan wo dozen individuals who had each adverised more han 20 dieren guns or

sale in a shor ime period.59 Such individuals are likely breaking he law by selling guns

a such a volume wihou a ederal license.

AF recenly creaed a Cyber Crime Uni o ocus on Inerne-aciliaed gun crimes.60

Te creaion o his uni is long overdue and is a posiive rs sep in he agency begin-

ning o ocus proper atenion on hese crimes. Given he agencys lack o experience in

his area, however, AF is ill equipped o adequaely address he increasing problem o

Inerne gun crimes. AF should parner wih he FBI o begin aggressively invesigaing

Inerne-aciliaed gun crimes. Te FBI has a well-developed and robus cyber-crimedivision ha has prioriized invesigaing compuer-relaed crimes or many years.61

Each FBI eld ofce has a leas one cyber squad consising o special agens, inel-

ligence analyss, and compuer scieniss,62 and he FBI also leads he Naional Cyber

Invesigaive Join ask Force, a group o 18 ederal law enorcemen and inelligence

agencies ha work collaboraively o comba cyber crimes. Te DOJ should creae an

Inerne gun-rafcking ask orce in which AF and he FBI parner ogeher o develop

and implemen argeed invesigaions o illegal online gun sales.

Conclusion

Mos o he atenion in he curren gun debae has been ocused on congressional

acion (or inacion) on legislaion designed o proec public saey by prevening

dangerous individuals rom having easy access o guns. Tere is much ha can be done

ouside o Congress, however, o help srenghen oversigh o he gun indusry, enhance

law-enorcemen invesigaions o gun-relaed crime, and make i more difcul or crim-

inals o ge guns. As he coninues o work wih members o Congress o pass common-

sense gun legislaion, Presiden Obama should also use he powers under curren law

graned o he execuive branch o ake acion o help preven uure gun violence and

make our communiies saer.

Arkadi Gerney is a Senior Fellow at the Center for American Progress. Chelsea Parsons is

Associate Director for Crime and Firearms Policy at the Center.


12/13


Endnotes

1 Frank Newport, Americans Wanted Gun Background Checksto Pass Senate, Gallup Politics, April 29, 2013, available athttp://www.gallup.com/poll/162083/americans-wanted-gun-background-checks-pass-senate.aspx.

2 The White House, Now Is the Time: Gun Violence ReductionExecutive Actions (2013), available at http://www.white-

house.gov/sites/deault/les/docs/wh_now_is_the_time_actions.pd.

3 Federal Bureau o Investigation, National Instant CriminalBackground Check System (NICS) Operations 2012,available at http://www.bi.gov/about-us/cjis/nics/reports/2012-operations-report/nics-operations-report-2012 (lastaccessed May 2013).

4 Federal Bureau o Investigation, Federal Denials: ReasonsWhy the NICS Section Denies, November 30, 1998 - April 30,2013, available at http://www.bi.gov/about-us/cjis/nics/re-ports/ederal-denials-033113.pd(last accessed May 2013).

5 Ronald J. Frandsen, Enforcement of the Brady Act, 2010:Federal and State Investigations and Prosecutions of Firearm

Applicants Denied by a NICS Check in 2010 (U.S. Departmento Justice, 2012), available at https://www.ncjrs.gov/pd-les1/bjs/grants/239272.pd.

6 TRAC Reports, Decline in Federal Prosecutions rom ATF-Led Investigations, October 24, 2011, available at http://trac.syr.edu/tracreports/crim/265.

7 U.S. Courts Judicial Business, Table D-2. U.S. DistrictCourtsCriminal Deendants Commenced, by Oense,During the 12-Month Periods Ending September 30, 2008through 2012, 2012, available at http://www.uscourts.gov/uscourts/Statistics/JudicialBusiness/2012/appendices/D02DSep12.pd.

8 Frandsen, Enforcement of the Brady Act.

9 Mayors Against Illegal Guns, A Blueprint or Federal Actionon Illegal Guns (2009), available at http://mayorsagainstille-galguns.org/downloads/pd/blueprint_ederal_action.pd.

10 Federal Bureau o Investigation, Federal Denials.

11 KAKE News, Augusta Salon & Gun Shop Owners FacingFederal Charges, August 22, 2012, available at http://www.

kake.com/home/headlines/167080455.html.

12 Mayors Against Illegal Guns, Wal-Mart and Mayors AgainstIllegal Guns Announce Responsible Firearms RetailerPartnership: A 10-Point Voluntary Code, Press release, April14, 2008, available at http://www.mayorsagainstillegalguns.org/html/media-center/pr007-08.shtml; AmmoLand, NSSFSupports Virginia Call to Add Mental Health Records toBackground Check System, May 1, 2012, available at http://www.ammoland.com/2012/05/nss-supports-virginia-call-to-add-mental-health-records-to-background-check-system/#axzz2TqrB9ZA5.

13 The White House, Now Is the Time.

14 Bureau o Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives,Recordkeeping and Background Check Procedures or Fa-cilitation o Private Party Firearms Transers (2013), availableat https://www.at.gov/sites/deault/les/assets/pd-les/at_proc._2013-1_-_private_rearms_transers_through_

s.pd.

15 U.S. General Accounting Oce, Firearms Purchased romFederal Firearm Licensees Using Bogus Identication(2001), available at http://www.cbsnews.com/htdocs/pd/gao_rearms.pd.

16 U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services, What Is E-Veriy?, avail able at http://www.uscis.gov/portal/site/uscis/menuitem.eb1d4c2a3e5b9ac89243c6a75436d1a/?vgnextoid=e94888e60a405110VgnVCM1000004718190aRCRD&vgnextchannel=e94888e60a405110VgnVCM1000004718190aRCRD (last accessed May 2013).

17 Mayors Against Illegal Guns, A Blueprint or Federal Actionon Illegal Guns.

18 27 CFR 478.92.

19 Bradley A. Buckles, Youth Crime Gun Interdiction InitiativeReport 2000 (Washington: Bureau o Alc ohol, Tobacco,

Firearms and Explosives, 2002), available at http://www.at.gov/publications/historical/ycgii/ycgii-report-2000.html.

20 Scott Wilson, Greg Miller, and Sari Horwitz, Bostonbombing suspect cites U.S. wars as motivation, ocialssay, The Washington Post, April 23, 2013, available athttp://www.washingtonpost.com/national/boston-bombing-suspect-cites-us-wars-as-motivation-ocials-say/2013/04/23/324b9cea-ac29-11e2-b6d-ba6526d70e_story.html.

21 18 U.S.C. 923(i).

22 18 U.S.C. 923(g)(3)(A).

23 Bureau o Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives, FactSheet: Multiple Sales Reporting For Certai n Rifes Reporting,February 2013, available at http://www.at.gov/publica-tions/actsheets/actsheet-multiple-sales-reporting.html.

24 Buckles, Youth Crime Gun Interdiction Initiative Report2000, Table 5.

25 18 U.S.C. 923(g)(5)(A); 27 C.F.R. 478.126.

26 Charlie Savage, New Reporting Rules on Multiple Sales oGuns Near Border, July 11, 2011, avail able at http://www.nytimes.com/2011/07/12/us/politics/12guns.html?_r=0.

27 Alan Berlow, Current gun debate may not helpbeleaguered ATF (Washington: The Center or PublicIntegrity, 2013), available at http://www.publicintegrity.org/2013/02/11/12155/current-gun-debate-may-not-help-beleaguered-at.

28 The Associated Press, Rochester woman who acted as strawbuyer o guns used by William Spengler in Webster shootingis busted or lying about who would own the weapons,New York Daily News, December 29, 2012, available at http://www.nydailynews.com/new-york/straw-buyer-guns-web-ster-shooting-arrested-article-1.1229180#ixzz2TrQyZWw5.

29 18 U.S.C. 923(g).

30 Federal Bureau o Investigation, Total NICS FirearmBackground Checks, November 30, 1998 - April 30, 2013,available at http://www.bi.gov/about-us/cjis/nics/reports/1998_2013_state_program_to_date_purpose_ids-033113.pd(last accessed May 2013).

31 Federal Bureau o Investigation, Federal Denials; RonaldJ. Frandsen and others, Background Checks for FirearmTransfers, 2010 - Statistical Tables(U.S. Department o Justice,2013), available at http://bjs.gov/content/pub/pd/bct10st.pd.

32 U.S. Government Accountability Oce, Gun Control: Shar-ing Promising Practices and Assessing Incentives CouldBetter Position Justice to Assist States in Providing Recordsor Background Checks (2012), available at http://www.gao.gov/assets/600/592452.pd.

33 NICS Improvement Amendments Act of 2007, Public Law 110-180 (2008).

34 Ibid.

35 Mayors Against Illegal Guns, A Plan to Prevent Future Trag-edies (2011), available at http://www.mayorsagainstillegal-guns.org/downloads/pd/plan_prevent_uture_tragedies.pd.

36 Demand Action, Fatal Gaps: Can Dangerous People BuyGuns in Your State?, available at http://www.demandaction.org/atalgaps (last accessed May 2013).
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es.pdfhttp://www.demandaction.org/fatalgapshttp://www.demandaction.org/fatalgapshttp://www.demandaction.org/fatalgapshttp://www.demandaction.org/fatalgapshttp://www.mayorsagainstillegalguns.org/downloads/pdf/plan_prevent_future_tragedies.pdfhttp://www.mayorsagainstillegalguns.org/downloads/pdf/plan_prevent_future_tragedies.pdfhttp://www.gao.gov/assets/600/592452.pdfhttp://www.gao.gov/assets/600/592452.pdfhttp://bjs.gov/content/pub/pdf/bcft10st.pdfhttp://bjs.gov/content/pub/pdf/bcft10st.pdfhttp://www.fbi.gov/about-us/cjis/nics/reports/1998_2013_state_program_to_date_purpose_ids-033113.pdfhttp://www.fbi.gov/about-us/cjis/nics/reports/1998_2013_state_program_to_date_purpose_ids-033113.pdfhttp://www.fbi.gov/about-us/cjis/nics/reports/1998_2013_state_program_to_date_purpose_ids-033113.pdfhttp://www.publicintegrity.org/2013/02/11/12155/current-gun-debate-may-not-help-beleaguered-atfhttp://www.publicintegrity.org/2013/02/11/12155/current-gun-debate-may-not-help-beleaguered-atfhttp://www.publicintegrity.org/2013/02/11/12155/current-gun-debate-may-not-help-beleaguered-atfhttp://www.nytimes.com/2011/07/12/us/politics/12guns.html?_r=0http://www.nytimes.com/2011/07/12/us/politics/12guns.html?_r=0http://www.atf.gov/publications/factsheets/factsheet-multiple-sales-reporting.htmlhttp://www.atf.gov/publications/factsheets/factsheet-multiple-sales-reporting.htmlhttp://www.washingtonpost.com/national/boston-bombing-suspect-cites-us-wars-as-motivation-officials-say/2013/04/23/324b9cea-ac29-11e2-b6fd-ba6f5f26d70e_story.htmlhttp://www.washingtonpost.com/national/boston-bombing-suspect-cites-us-wars-as-motivation-officials-say/2013/04/23/324b9cea-ac29-11e2-b6fd-ba6f5f26d70e_story.htmlhttp://www.washingtonpost.com/national/boston-bombing-suspect-cites-us-wars-as-motivation-officials-say/2013/04/23/324b9cea-ac29-11e2-b6fd-ba6f5f26d70e_story.htmlhttp://www.washingtonpost.com/national/boston-bombing-suspect-cites-us-wars-as-motivation-officials-say/2013/04/23/324b9cea-ac29-11e2-b6fd-ba6f5f26d70e_story.htmlhttp://www.atf.gov/publications/historical/ycgii/ycgii-report-2000.htmlhttp://www.atf.gov/publications/historical/ycgii/ycgii-report-2000.htmlhttp://www.uscis.gov/portal/site/uscis/menuitem.eb1d4c2a3e5b9ac89243c6a7543f6d1a/?vgnextoid=e94888e60a405110VgnVCM1000004718190aRCRD&vgnextchannel=e94888e60a405110VgnVCM1000004718190aRCRDhttp://www.uscis.gov/portal/site/uscis/menuitem.eb1d4c2a3e5b9ac89243c6a7543f6d1a/?vgnextoid=e94888e60a405110VgnVCM1000004718190aRCRD&vgnextchannel=e94888e60a405110VgnVCM1000004718190aRCRDhttp://www.uscis.gov/portal/site/uscis/menuitem.eb1d4c2a3e5b9ac89243c6a7543f6d1a/?vgnextoid=e94888e60a405110VgnVCM1000004718190aRCRD&vgnextchannel=e94888e60a405110VgnVCM1000004718190aRCRDhttp://www.uscis.gov/portal/site/uscis/menuitem.eb1d4c2a3e5b9ac89243c6a7543f6d1a/?vgnextoid=e94888e60a405110VgnVCM1000004718190aRCRD&vgnextchannel=e94888e60a405110VgnVCM1000004718190aRCRDhttp://www.uscis.gov/portal/site/uscis/menuitem.eb1d4c2a3e5b9ac89243c6a7543f6d1a/?vgnextoid=e94888e60a405110VgnVCM1000004718190aRCRD&vgnextchannel=e94888e60a405110VgnVCM1000004718190aRCRDhttp://www.cbsnews.com/htdocs/pdf/gao_firearms.pdfhttp://www.cbsnews.com/htdocs/pdf/gao_firearms.pdfhttps://www.atf.gov/sites/default/files/assets/pdf-files/atf_proc._2013-1_-_private_firearms_transfers_through_ffls.pdfhttps://www.atf.gov/sites/default/files/assets/pdf-files/atf_proc._2013-1_-_private_firearms_transfers_through_ffls.pdfhttps://www.atf.gov/sites/default/files/assets/pdf-files/atf_proc._2013-1_-_private_firearms_transfers_through_ffls.pdfhttp://www.mayorsagainstillegalguns.org/html/media-center/pr007-08.shtmlhttp://www.mayorsagainstillegalguns.org/html/media-center/pr007-08.shtmlhttp://www.kake.com/home/headlines/167080455.htmlhttp://www.kake.com/home/headlines/167080455.htmlhttp://mayorsagainstillegalguns.org/downloads/pdf/blueprint_federal_action.pdfhttp://mayorsagainstillegalguns.org/downloads/pdf/blueprint_federal_action.pdfhttp://www.uscourts.gov/uscourts/Statistics/JudicialBusiness/2012/appendices/D02DSep12.pdfhttp://www.uscourts.gov/uscourts/Statistics/JudicialBusiness/2012/appendices/D02DSep12.pdfhttp://www.uscourts.gov/uscourts/Statistics/JudicialBusiness/2012/appendices/D02DSep12.pdfhttp://trac.syr.edu/tracreports/crim/265http://trac.syr.edu/tracreports/crim/265https://www.ncjrs.gov/pdffiles1/bjs/grants/239272.pdfhttps://www.ncjrs.gov/pdffiles1/bjs/grants/239272.pdfhttp://www.fbi.gov/about-us/cjis/nics/reports/federal-denials-033113.pdfhttp://www.fbi.gov/about-us/cjis/nics/reports/federal-denials-033113.pdfhttp://www.fbi.gov/about-us/cjis/nics/reports/2012-operations-report/nics-operations-report-2012http://www.fbi.gov/about-us/cjis/nics/reports/2012-operations-report/nics-operations-report-2012http://www.whitehouse.gov/sites/default/files/docs/wh_now_is_the_time_actions.pdfhttp://www.whitehouse.gov/sites/default/files/docs/wh_now_is_the_time_actions.pdfhttp://www.whitehouse.gov/sites/default/files/docs/wh_now_is_the_time_actions.pdfhttp://www.gallup.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13/13

37 Ibid.

38 Law Center to Prevent Gun Violence, Domestic Violence &Firearms Policy Summary (2012), available at http://smart-gunlaws.org/domestic-violence-rearms-policy-summary/.

39 Michael Luo, In Some States, Gun Rights Trump Orders oProtection, The New York Times, March 17, 2013, available athttp://www.nytimes.com/2013/03/18/us/acing-protective-orders-and-allowed-to-keep-guns.html?pagewanted=all&_r=0.

40 Ibid.

41 Ibid.

42 Ibid.

43 Ibid.

44 Bureau o Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives, Proj-ect Sae Neighborhoods, available at http://www.at.gov/rearms/programs/project-sae-neighborhoods/index.html(last accessed May 2013).

45 For more inormation about how ederal laws ail to ad-equately protect victims o domestic violence and stalkingrom gun violence, see Winnie Stachelberg and others,Preventing Domestic Abusers and Stalkers rom AccessingGuns (Washington: Center or American Progress, 2013),available at http://www.americanprogress.org/wp-content/uploads/2013/05/GunsStalkersBrie-3.pd.


47 Alan Berlow, Current gun debate may not help belea-guered ATF.

48 18 U.S.C. 923(g)(6).

49 Winnie Stachelberg, Arkadi Gerney, and Chelsea Parsons,Blindolded, and with One Hand Tied Behind the Back(Washington: Center or American Progress, 2013), availableat http://www.americanprogress.org/wp-content/up-loads/2013/03/GunRidersBrie-7.pd.

50 18 U.S.C. 922(a).


52 Under ederal law, only licensed gun dealers are required toperorm background checks prior to selling a rearm. See

18 U.S.C. 922.

53 Matthew Dolan, Former Parkville arms dealer loses appealto recover license, The Baltimore Sun, October 27, 2006,available at http://articles.baltimoresun.com/2006-10-27/news/0610270018_1_abrams-gun-dealers-valley-gun; AmitR. Paley, Gun Sellers Case Reveals Hurdles O Enorcement,The Washington Post, July 23, 2006, available at http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2006/07/22/AR2006072201032_p.html.

54 Michael Luo, Mike McIntire, and Gri Palmer, Seeking Gunor Selling One, Web Is a Land o Few Rules,The New YorkTimes, April 17, 2013, available at http://www.nytimes.com/2013/04/17/us/seeking-gun-or-selling-one-web-is-a-

land-o-ew-rules.html?pagewanted=all&_r=0.

55 City o New York, Point, Click, Fire: An Investigation o IllegalOnline Gun Sales (2011), available at http://www.nyc.gov/html/cjc/downloads/pd/nyc_pointclickre.pd.

56 Abby Rogers, The Website Used To Sell The WisconsinShooter A Gun Was The Subject O A Massive Sting Opera-tion, Business Insider, October 25, 2012, avail able at http://www.businessinsider.com/investigations-into-armlist-com-2012-10.

57 HuPost Chicago, Dmitry Smirnov Pleads Guilty, Gets LieIn Stalking Murder O Ex-Girlriend Jitka Vesel,

July 23, 2011, available at http://www.hungtonpost.com/2011/07/23/dmitry-smirnov-pleads-gui_n_907839.html.

58 Luo, McIntire, and Palmer, Seeking Gun or Selling One, Web

Is a Land o Few Rules.

59 Ibid.

60 Bureau o Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives,Congressional Budget Submission: Fiscal Year 2013 (2012),available at http://www.justice.gov/jmd/2013justication/pd/y13-at-justication.pd.

61 Federal Bureau o Investigation, Cyber Crime, available athttp://www.bi.gov/about-us/investigate/cyber/cyber (lastaccessed May 2013).

62 Oce o the Inspector General, Audit Division, The FederalBureau of Investigations Ability to Address the National Secu-rity Cyber Intrusion Threat(U.S. Department o Justice, 2011),available at http://www.justice.gov/oig/reports/FBI/a1122r.pd.
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recommendations for executive action to combat illegal gun trafficking and gun crime

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