It’s very important for firearm purchases to be made properly in California. This state has very strict gun laws and some of the more complex regulations in the country.
One such law revolves around straw firearm purchases. You need to be aware of what this is, how you could violate it and what to do if you’re accused of breaking the law.
Buying a gun for someone else
The easiest way to think of a straw purchase is that you’re buying a gun for a different person, not for yourself. But you’re claiming that it is for yourself and you are making the payment. This is illegal because it misrepresents the situation.
It’s also illegal because it is a tactic that people use to circumvent gun laws. For example, someone might have a felony on their record and not be able to buy a firearm themselves. What they will do is find a friend who doesn’t have a felony, give the friend the money for the firearm, and then have the friend buy it. That friend will pass the background check, but the gun is really for the person with the felony on their record.
Of course, you could be accused of this without doing anything malicious. You may just think that you’re buying a firearm for your friend and giving it to them as a gift. But if they weren’t allowed to have the firearm, this could qualify as a straw purchase and you could find yourself facing some very serious charges.
These types of charges can stay on your record for the rest of your life, so it’s very important for you to understand the steps that you’ll need to take when facing such accusations. Enlisting the help of a seasoned California criminal defense attorney will help you to obtain a more favorable outcome in your case.