CHARLOTTE (QUEEN CITY NEWS) — Federal and local law enforcement officials are teaming up to crack down on illegal gun sales in Charlotte with the launch of a new public education campaign aimed at stopping what’s known as straw purchasing, when someone buys a gun for another person who isn’t legally allowed to have one.
The Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms, and Explosives (ATF) Charlotte Field Division officially announced the campaign on Wednesday, August 13, during a news conference at Hyatt Guns on Wilkinson Boulevard in Charlotte.
The campaign is part of the nationwide “Don’t Lie for the Other Guy” initiative, which reminds the public that straw purchases are a serious federal offense. Offenders can face up to 15 years in prison and $250,000 in fines, and even more if the gun is trafficked across state lines…