Summary Inside Gary, Indiana’s Suit Against the Gun Industry — ProPublica www.propublica.org
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Gary, Indiana is suing the gun industry for illegal sales, using evidence from Operation Hollowpoint, and seeking damages and changes to industry practices.
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Slide Presentation (10 slides)
Key Points
- Gary, Indiana has been engaged in a 25-year lawsuit against the gun industry, seeking to hold local gun retailers and major gun manufacturers responsible for illegal sales
- The lawsuit is based on evidence from Operation Hollowpoint, where undercover police officers successfully purchased guns and ammunition at federally licensed firearm retailers despite representing themselves as suspicious buyers
- The Indiana legislature has passed a bill that may make the Gary lawsuit and any like it illegal, frustrating the current mayor of Gary, Eddie Melton, who desires a fair day in court
- The firearms industry has made relentless legislative and legal efforts to eliminate the lawsuit, with the industry turning to its political allies for relief after cities sought solutions to gun violence problems through legal action
- The straw-purchase cases cited in the Gary suit provide a chilling tour of illegal activity and crime in the region and beyond, with the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives identifying straw purchases as among the most common ways in which guns fall into the wrong hands across the country
- The move follows efforts by Chicago to revive its lawsuit against an Indiana gun retailer and to file a lawsuit against gun-maker Glock over the company's alleged refusal to alter the design of pistols that are being cheaply and easily converted into machine guns
- The Brady Center plans to appeal if Gary's lawsuit is dismissed, but Mayor Melton would have to sign off and is not yet ready to commit
Summaries
20 word summary
Gary, Indiana's 25-year lawsuit targets gun industry for illegal sales, supported by Operation Hollowpoint evidence, seeking damages and practice changes.
56 word summary
Gary, Indiana's 25-year lawsuit targets local gun retailers and major manufacturers for illegal sales. Operation Hollowpoint evidence supports the suit, seeking damages and industry practice changes. Over 100 criminal cases involving straw sales were found in northwest Indiana. The firearms industry seeks to eliminate the lawsuit with a bill from the Indiana legislature potentially ending it.
151 word summary
Gary, Indiana's 25-year lawsuit targets local gun retailers and major manufacturers for illegal sales. Operation Hollowpoint evidence supports the suit, seeking damages and industry practice changes. The firearms industry seeks to eliminate the lawsuit, with a bill from the Indiana legislature potentially ending it. Over 100 criminal cases involving straw sales were found in northwest Indiana. The illegal gun trade is known to law enforcement but obscured by industry-backed laws. The industry's pushback against regulation and legal threats is evident. Defendants deny responsibility for criminal acts by buyers. The legislation restricting the lawsuit's power has frustrated Mayor Eddie Melton. The industry sought political allies for relief after cities used legal action to address gun violence. The lawsuit faces obstacles as manufacturers and retailers move to dismiss the case, leaving proponents struggling to find a way forward. Police and prosecutors continue to deal with the aftermath of straw sales in the region.
360 word summary
Gary, Indiana's 25-year lawsuit against the gun industry aims to hold local gun retailers and major manufacturers responsible for illegal sales. The suit, based on evidence from Operation Hollowpoint, seeks monetary damages and changes in industry practices. The firearms industry has made legislative and legal efforts to eliminate the lawsuit, with a bill approved by the Indiana legislature potentially being the final blow. Gary's lawyers have argued that negligence plagues the firearms industry, creating an ongoing public nuisance. ProPublica found over 100 separate criminal cases involving straw sales transactions in northwest Indiana.
The federal gun cases represent a small but illustrative sampling of the nation's illegal gun trade, whose contours are well known to law enforcement but shrouded in mystery to the public due to industry-backed laws. The firearms industry's vigorous effort to quash the suit shows its commitment to push back against stepped-up regulation and legal threats. The defendants have denied responsibility for criminal acts committed by buyers. The legislative maneuver to eliminate the lawsuit has been frustrating for Mayor Eddie Melton.
The legislation targeted the Gary lawsuit directly by restricting the power to bring such action to the Indiana attorney general. The firearms industry turned to its political allies for relief after cities sought solutions to gun violence problems through legal action. The straw-purchase cases cited in the Gary suit provide a chilling tour of illegal activity and crime in the region and beyond.
Gary's lawsuit reached a milestone as the presiding judge set a final date to complete the discovery phase. With the passage of the bill making the Gary lawsuit illegal, attorneys for the city expect that process to come to a standstill. Financial disclosure records reveal that the National Shooting Sports Foundation began ramping up its work at the state legislature last year, spending around $143,000 on lobbying efforts in 2023. Nearly all of the manufacturers and retailers sued by Gary have moved to dismiss the case, given the new legislation, leaving the suits proponents struggling to determine a way forward.
Amid these prolonged court battles, police and prosecutors remain as busy as ever dealing with the aftermath of straw sales occurring in the region.
933 word summary
Gary, Indiana's lawsuit against the gun industry has been ongoing for 25 years, with the city seeking to hold local gun retailers and major gun manufacturers responsible for illegal sales. The city's lawsuit is the last one standing from the original group of cases initiated by cities against the industry two decades ago. The lawsuit is based on evidence from Operation Hollowpoint, where undercover police officers successfully purchased guns and ammunition at federally licensed firearm retailers despite representing themselves as suspicious buyers. The city sought monetary damages and changes in industry practices as part of the suit.
The firearms industry has made relentless legislative and legal efforts to eliminate the lawsuit, with a bill approved by the Indiana legislature and signed into law by Gov. Eric Holcomb potentially being the final blow to Gary's suit. This bill may make the lawsuit and any like it illegal. The legislative maneuver has frustrated the current mayor of Gary, Eddie Melton, who expressed a desire for a fair day in court.
Gary's lawyers have argued that negligence plagues the firearms industry, creating an ongoing public nuisance. They have included long lists of federal indictments of gun traffickers and their ties to illegal purchases at northwest Indiana retailers in court filings. ProPublica found and analyzed over 100 separate criminal cases involving straw sales transactions where suspects participated in schemes to buy guns from federally licensed retailers and resell them to people barred by law from purchasing guns themselves.
The federal gun cases represent a small but illustrative sampling of the nation's illegal gun trade, whose contours are well known to law enforcement but shrouded in mystery to the public because of industry-backed laws that keep a tight lid on data involving illicit gun sales. The vigorous effort by the firearms industry to quash the suit shows its commitment to push back against stepped-up regulation and legal threats.
The defendants have countered Gary's claims at every turn, arguing that manufacturers have no part in the illegal gun trade and denying responsibility for criminal acts committed by buyers. The legislative maneuver to eliminate the lawsuit has been frustrating for Mayor Eddie Melton, who views it as a slap in the face in terms of the law, the lives that have been lost, and the reason that the city has been fighting this fight for so long.
The legislation targeted the Gary lawsuit directly by restricting the power to bring such action to the Indiana attorney general. The House had passed its version just days before, and the Senate eventually passed the bill by a vote of 33 to 15, along party lines. The firearms industry turned to its political allies for relief after cities sought solutions to gun violence problems through legal action. Congress passed laws such as the Tiahrt Amendment and the Protection of Lawful Commerce in Arms Act, which gave manufacturers and retailers broad protections against civil litigation.
The straw-purchase cases cited in the Gary suit provide a chilling tour of illegal activity and crime in the region and beyond. The Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives has identified straw purchases as among the most common ways in which guns fall into the wrong hands across the country. ProPublica's analysis found that guns obtained unlawfully have been linked to crimes and mayhem throughout the Midwest.
The move follows efforts by Chicago to revive its lawsuit against Indiana gun retailer Westforth Sports. The city filed a lawsuit against gun-maker Glock over the company's alleged refusal to alter the design of pistols that are being cheaply and easily converted into machine guns. The now-shuttered Gary retailer was the source of hundreds of guns recovered amid investigations by Chicago police.
Gary's lawsuit reached a milestone as the presiding judge set a final date to complete the discovery phase. With the passage of the bill making the Gary lawsuit illegal, attorneys for the city expect that process to come to a standstill. The Brady Center plans to appeal if Gary's lawsuit is dismissed, but Mayor Melton would have to sign off and is not yet ready to commit.
Financial disclosure records reveal that the National Shooting Sports Foundation, which conducts political lobbying on behalf of the firearms industry, began ramping up its work at the state legislature last year. The group spent around $143,000 on lobbying efforts in 2023, a huge uptick from previous years. The bill aimed at killing Gary's lawsuit was authored by Rep. Chris Jeter, a Republican who was an attorney at the law firm that handled lobbying for the NSSF until 2015. Jeter said no one at the law firm approached him about the measure.
Surveillance footage shows a display case inside a Gary-area gun shop. The gun cases cited in the Gary suit and examined by ProPublica provide a chilling tour of illegal activity and crime in the region and beyond.
Nearly all of the manufacturers and retailers sued by Gary already have moved to dismiss the case, given the new legislation, leaving the suits proponents struggling to determine a way forward.
Amid these prolonged court battles, police and prosecutors remain as busy as ever dealing with the aftermath of straw sales occurring in the region.
On Feb. 22, as the Indiana Senate had begun its deliberation on the bill barring Gary's suit, a federal judge sentenced a 25-year-old former school custodian to 18 months in federal prison for charges related to straw purchases. Federal prosecutors accused him of buying at least 19 handguns illegally from Indiana gun retailers over the course of a year. Most of those guns have been recovered. Five remain missing.
3187 word summary
Gary, Indiana's lawsuit against the gun industry has been ongoing for 25 years, with the city seeking to hold local gun retailers and major gun manufacturers responsible for illegal sales. The city's lawsuit is the last one standing from the original group of cases initiated by cities against the industry two decades ago. The lawsuit is based on evidence from Operation Hollowpoint, where undercover police officers successfully purchased guns and ammunition at federally licensed firearm retailers despite representing themselves as suspicious buyers. The city sought monetary damages and changes in industry practices as part of the suit.
The firearms industry has made relentless legislative and legal efforts to eliminate the lawsuit, with a bill approved by the Indiana legislature and signed into law by Gov. Eric Holcomb potentially being the final blow to Gary's suit. This bill may make the lawsuit and any like it illegal. The legislative maneuver has frustrated the current mayor of Gary, Eddie Melton, who expressed a desire for a fair day in court.
Gary's lawyers have argued that negligence plagues the firearms industry, creating an ongoing public nuisance. They have included long lists of federal indictments of gun traffickers and their ties to illegal purchases at northwest Indiana retailers in court filings. ProPublica found and analyzed over 100 separate criminal cases involving straw sales transactions where suspects participated in schemes to buy guns from federally licensed retailers and resell them to people barred by law from purchasing guns themselves.
The federal gun cases represent a small but illustrative sampling of the nation's illegal gun trade, whose contours are well known to law enforcement but shrouded in mystery to the public because of industry-backed laws that keep a tight lid on data involving illicit gun sales. The vigorous effort by the firearms industry to quash the suit shows its commitment to push back against stepped-up regulation and legal threats.
The defendants have countered Gary's claims at every turn, arguing that manufacturers have no part in the illegal gun trade and denying responsibility for criminal acts committed by buyers. The legislative maneuver to eliminate the lawsuit has been frustrating for Mayor Eddie Melton, who views it as a slap in the face in terms of the law, the lives that have been lost, and the reason that the city has been fighting this fight for so long.
The legislation targeted the Gary lawsuit directly by restricting the power to bring such action to the Indiana attorney general. The House had passed its version just days before, and the Senate eventually passed the bill by a vote of 33 to 15, along party lines. The firearms industry turned to its political allies for relief after cities sought solutions to gun violence problems through legal action. Congress passed laws such as the Tiahrt Amendment and the Protection of Lawful Commerce in Arms Act, which gave manufacturers and retailers broad protections against civil litigation.
The straw-purchase cases cited in the Gary suit provide a chilling tour of illegal activity and crime in the region and beyond. The Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives has identified straw purchases as among the most common ways in which guns fall into the wrong hands across the country. ProPublica's analysis found that guns obtained unlawfully have been linked to crimes and mayhem throughout the Midwest.
The move follows efforts by Chicago to revive its lawsuit against Indiana gun retailer Westforth Sports. The city filed a lawsuit against gun-maker Glock over the company's alleged refusal to alter the design of pistols that are being cheaply and easily converted into machine guns. The now-shuttered Gary retailer was the source of hundreds of guns recovered amid investigations by Chicago police.
Gary's lawsuit reached a milestone as the presiding judge set a final date to complete the discovery phase. With the passage of the bill making the Gary lawsuit illegal, attorneys for the city expect that process to come to a standstill. The Brady Center plans to appeal if Gary's lawsuit is dismissed, but Mayor Melton would have to sign off and is not yet ready to commit.
The legislative maneuver has frustrated Mayor Eddie Melton, who views it as a slap in the face in terms of the law, the lives that have been lost, and the reason that the city has been fighting this fight for so long. The firearms industry has made relentless legislative and legal efforts to eliminate the lawsuit, with a bill approved by the Indiana legislature potentially being the final blow to Gary's suit.
The firearms industry turned to its political allies for relief after cities sought solutions to gun violence problems through legal action. Congress passed laws such as the Tiahrt Amendment and the Protection of Lawful Commerce in Arms Act, which gave manufacturers and retailers broad protections against civil litigation. The straw-purchase cases cited in the Gary suit provide a chilling tour of illegal activity and crime in the region and beyond.
The move follows efforts by Chicago to revive its lawsuit against Indiana gun retailer Westforth Sports. The city filed a lawsuit against gun-maker Glock over the company's alleged refusal to alter the design of pistols that are being cheaply and easily converted into machine guns. The now-shuttered Gary retailer was the source of hundreds of guns recovered amid investigations by Chicago police.
Gary's lawsuit reached a milestone as the presiding judge set a final date to complete the discovery phase. With the passage of the bill making the Gary lawsuit illegal, attorneys for the city expect that process to come to a standstill. The Brady Center plans to appeal if Gary's lawsuit is dismissed, but Mayor Melton would have to sign off and is not yet ready to commit.
The legislative maneuver has frustrated Mayor Eddie Melton, who views it as a slap in the face in terms of the law, the lives that have been lost, and the reason that the city has been fighting this fight for so long. The firearms industry has made relentless legislative and legal efforts to eliminate the lawsuit, with a bill approved by the Indiana legislature potentially being the final blow to Gary's suit.
The firearms industry turned to its political allies for relief after cities sought solutions to gun violence problems through legal action. Congress passed laws such as the Tiahrt Amendment and the Protection of Lawful Commerce in Arms Act, which gave manufacturers and retailers broad protections against civil litigation. The straw-purchase cases cited in the Gary suit provide a chilling tour of illegal activity and crime in the region and beyond.
The move follows efforts by Chicago to revive its lawsuit against Indiana gun retailer Westforth Sports. The city filed a lawsuit against gun-maker Glock over the company's alleged refusal to alter the design of pistols that are being cheaply and easily converted into machine guns. The now-shuttered Gary retailer was the source of hundreds of guns recovered amid investigations by Chicago police.
Gary's lawsuit reached a milestone as the presiding judge set a final date to complete the discovery phase. With the passage of the bill making the Gary lawsuit illegal, attorneys for the city expect that process to come to a standstill. The Brady Center plans to appeal if Gary's lawsuit is dismissed, but Mayor Melton would have to sign off and is not yet ready to commit.
The legislative maneuver has frustrated Mayor Eddie Melton, who views it as a slap in the face in terms of the law, the lives that have been lost, and the reason that the city has been fighting this fight for so long. The firearms industry has made relentless legislative and legal efforts to eliminate the lawsuit, with a bill approved by the Indiana legislature potentially being the final blow to Gary's suit.
The firearms industry turned to its political allies for relief after cities sought solutions to gun violence problems through legal action. Congress passed laws such as the Tiahrt Amendment and the Protection of Lawful Commerce in Arms Act, which gave manufacturers and retailers broad protections against civil litigation. The straw-purchase cases cited in
Gary's lawsuit provide a chilling tour of illegal activity and crime in
the region and beyond.
The move follows efforts by Chicago to revive its lawsuit against Indiana gun retailer Westforth Sports. The city filed a lawsuit against gun-maker Glock over
the company's alleged refusal to alter
the design of pistols that are being cheaply and easily converted into machine guns. The now-shuttered Gary retailer was
the source of hundreds of guns recovered amid investigations by Chicago police.
Gary's lawsuit reached a milestone as
the presiding judge set
a final date
to complete
the discovery phase. With
the passage of
the bill making
the Gary lawsuit illegal,
attorneys for
the city expect that process
to come
to a standstill. The Brady Center plans
to appeal if
Gary's lawsuit is dismissed,
but Mayor Melton would have
to sign off
and is not yet ready
to commit.
The legislative maneuver has frustrated Mayor Eddie Melton,
who views it as
a slap in
the face in terms of
the law,
the lives that have been lost,
and
the reason that
the city has been fighting this fight for so long.
The firearms industry has made relentless legislative and legal efforts
to eliminate
the lawsuit,
with a bill approved by
the Indiana legislature potentially being
the final blow
to Gary's suit.
The firearms industry turned
to its political allies for relief after cities sought solutions
to gun violence problems through legal action.
Congress passed laws such as
the Tiahrt Amendment and
the Protection of Lawful Commerce in Arms Act,
which gave manufacturers and retailers broad protections against civil litigation.
The straw-purchase cases cited in
Gary's lawsuit provide a chilling tour
of illegal activity
and crime in
the region and beyond.
The move follows efforts by Chicago
to revive its lawsuit against Indiana gun retailer Westforth Sports.
The city filed a lawsuit against gun-maker Glock over
the company's alleged refusal to alter
the design of pistols that are being cheaply and easily converted into machine guns.
The now-shuttered Gary retailer was
the source of hundreds of guns recovered amid investigations by Chicago police.
Gary's lawsuit reached a milestone as
the presiding judge set
a final date
to complete
the discovery phase.
With
the passage of
the bill making
the Gary lawsuit illegal,
attorneys for
the city expect that process
to come
to a standstill.
The Brady Center plans
to appeal if
Gary's lawsuit is dismissed,
but Mayor Melton would have
to sign off
and is not yet ready
to commit.
The legislative maneuver has frustrated Mayor Eddie Melton,
who views it as
a slap in the face in terms of the law, the lives that have been lost, and the reason that the city has been fighting this fight for so long. Financial disclosure records reveal that the National Shooting Sports Foundation, which conducts political lobbying on behalf of the firearms industry, began ramping up its work at the state legislature last year. The group spent around $143,000 on lobbying efforts in 2023, a huge uptick from previous years. The bill aimed at killing Gary's lawsuit was authored by Rep. Chris Jeter, a Republican who was an attorney at the law firm that handled lobbying for the NSSF until 2015. Jeter said no one at the law firm approached him about the measure. The bill had another backer in Attorney General Todd Rokita, who once it went into effect became the only official in the state with the power to sue the gun industry. As the bill began to wind its way through the Indiana Statehouse in January, Rokita, a champion of gun ownership rights, was in Las Vegas for an NSSF trade show. Speaking in an on-camera interview with one of the group's top officials, Rokita made clear he has little intention of ever filing a suit like the one out of Gary. "That's not gonna happen on my watch," he said. Surveillance footage shows a display case inside a Gary-area gun shop. The gun cases cited in the Gary suit and examined by ProPublica provide a chilling tour of illegal activity and crime in the region and beyond. Take for instance, the case of Nathanael Benton, who was on the run in 2020 when he fired on police officers in Wisconsin. He had already shot a man in Fargo, North Dakota, in an argument over money, as he'd later admit during his trial, and had gotten rid of the gun he used in that shooting. Arriving in Indiana with police on his tail, Benton decided to obtain another one. As a convicted felon, Benton couldn't buy a gun for himself from a licensed dealer. So, after fleeing to Indiana to lay low, he got a friend's estranged girlfriend to make the purchases. Surveillance video taken from a now-shuttered gun retailer in Warsaw, Indiana, shows Benton's friend appearing to steer the woman toward particular firearms to purchase. Later, the pair approached a car with two handguns -- a Taurus .380 and Smith & Wesson .40 -- and then handed the firearms through the car's rear window to Benton. On the required federal form asking if she was purchasing the guns for herself, the woman checked yes, court records state. That same day, Benton and his accomplices traveled to ADT Firearms, a tiny gun shop in Syracuse, Indiana, run out of the basement of the owner's home. Anthony Tilson, the owner, told ProPublica that he remembered showing a man and a woman several guns before they finally settled on a Smith & Wesson 9 mm pistol. Watching the two as they browsed, Tilson said, he felt uneasy. But the woman was familiar, a previous customer, Tilson said. And so he went through with the sale. A Smith & Wesson 9 mm pistol illegally purchased at ADT Firearms in Syracuse, Indiana, was later recovered near a Holiday Inn Express in Delafield, Wisconsin, where two police officers were shot. ADT's owner told ProPublica: "We cannot control what somebody else does." Credit: Graphic by Lucas Waldron/ProPublica. Photography by Sarahbeth Maney/ProPublica. Two days later, outside a hotel in Delafield, Wisconsin, two police officers detained Benton as part of an investigation into a hit-and-run accident. As one of the officers frisked him, Benton pulled the Smith & Wesson .40 from his waistband and began firing, according to court testimony and other records. Bullets hit one officer in the pelvis. The other officer was struck three times -- two bullets hitting his back, while another struck him in the pelvis and pierced his abdomen, causing severe internal damage that forced him to undergo four separate surgeries. At Benton's trial, the officer testified that the bulletproof vest stopped two of the bullets that struck him, saving him from additional injuries. Both men have left law enforcement. Benton fled the hotel but was captured at 11 on the morning following the shooting, eight hours from when officers first confronted him, following a massive police search. He was later tried and convicted on multiple charges, including attempted murder and reckless use of a dangerous weapon. Tilson found out about the Wisconsin shooting from a newspaper article. The 9 mm Smith & Wesson pistol Benton's friends had purchased at ADT had been recovered at the scene. "I couldn't believe it," Tilson said. Police eventually arrested the Indiana woman Benton paid to buy guns for him. She was found guilty of one count of providing false information during the purchase of a firearm, and after a year in federal prison she was released for time served. Tilson said that if given a second chance he would have trusted his instincts and rejected the sale. But to Tilson, retailers like himself should not be held liable for straw sales. "We cannot control what somebody else does," he said. Two officers who were shot in Delafield, Wisconsin, first image, with a gun purchased in Syracuse, Indiana, second image, have left law enforcement. Credit: Sarahbeth Maney/ProPublica. The Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives has identified straw purchases as among the most common ways in which guns fall into the wrong hands across the country. ProPublica's analysis of straw-purchase cases cited in the Gary suit found that guns obtained unlawfully have been linked to crimes and mayhem throughout the Midwest. Andrew Thompson, for example, had a clean record, and that made the Fort Wayne, Indiana resident an ideal middle man for straw purchases. Thompson bought at least 20 guns between 2017 and 2020, several of which were later recovered amid crimes in Chicago, Peoria, Illinois, and as far away as Pennsylvania and Missouri, according to court records. One gun purchased by Thompson was recovered by Kansas City police officers from a suspect who held them at bay in an armed standoff. Court records show that in at least one case, Thompson, who a federal judge would later sentence to just over five years in prison, offered to include incendiary ammunition as part of a sale to an informant. "Upon impact," he wrote to one customer. "the bullet would explode into a ball of burning magnesium that burns so hot it goes right through bone like butter and it's burning at up to 3,000 degrees so it can LITERALLY SMOKE SOMEONE." Nearly all of the manufacturers and retailers sued by Gary already have moved to dismiss the case, given the new legislation, leaving the suits proponents struggling to determine a way forward. Even if the case stays alive through a potentially lengthy appeal, the discovery process will once again be on hold. Attorney Philip Bangle of the nonprofit Brady Center to Prevent Gun Violence, which represents the city in the suit, is just as frustrated as Melton by the legislature's action. "This is not about the merits of Gary's case," which have been found valid by courts no less than three times on appeal," he said. In passing the bill," he said," the legislature invited any person or corporation with ample resources or special interest to seek legislative intervention to fend off a legal threat. Mayor Melton would have to sign off on any decision about appealing if Gary's lawsuit is dismissed. Meanwhile, across
the border," Chicago continues
to pursue remedies
to gun violence through
the courts.
Last week,"
the city filed
a lawsuit against
gun-maker Glock over
the company's alleged refusal
to alter
the design
of pistols
that are being cheaply
and easily converted
into machine guns.
Company officials have not responded
to requests for comment.
Amid these prolonged court battles," police
and prosecutors remain
as busy as ever dealing
with
the aftermath
of straw sales occurring
in
the region.
On Feb." 22," as
the Indiana Senate had begun its deliberation on
the bill barring Gary’s suit,"
a federal judge sentenced
a 25-year-old former school custodian
to 18 months in federal prison
for charges related
to straw purchases." Federal prosecutors accused him
of buying at least 19 handguns illegally from Indiana gun retailers over
the course
of
a year.
Most
of those guns have been recovered." Five remain missing.
Vernal Coleman is a reporter for ProPublicas Midwest newsroom.