Actually Straw Purchases not involving actual criminals(Someone buying for someone who cannot own)
and that are not a part of some sting operation,
are very hard to track and/or pursue or ever really even know if they happen
That would have been the case here too.
BUT! He was being investigated for TWO Franklin Community Bank Robberies
so during a serious and thorough FEDERAL investigation like that, serving a Warrant to Search his House,
a receipt copy, (in a Franklin Community BANK BAG)written out to his Uncle, for a Glock 19 was found. Upon further investigation and by his own admission,
it was proven that;
-the uncle expressed desire to buy a Glock 19,
-the nephew Abramski said he could get him a discounted one by using his no longer valid LEO ID Card.
-the nephew talks to 3 different FFL's on how to do this properly
-apparently the 3 FFL's(in VA), all said that transferring it after the fact through his Uncle's FFL in another State(PA)
would be the way to do it.
- the Uncle sends the check for $400 on the 15th of Nov. 09'. IN THE MEMO LINE of the check
he writes 'GLOCK 19 HANDGUN'.
- two days later Abramski buys the Glock 19 from a local dealer along with $2k worth of other items.
- Abramski signs the 4473 paperwork completely, to include more specifically Block 11a that he was the true purchaser/buyer.
- 3 days after the purchase, the $400 check from his uncle was deposited in Abramski's account.
- the following day, he drove to his Uncle FFL, and transferred the firearm through that FFL to his uncle.
At that time, the Uncle, gave Abramski a receipt confirming the transfer, reflecting on the receipt
that the uncle purchased the gun from Abramski for $400.
a little more back story to HOW;
A few days before Abramski bought the Firearm, unbeknownst to him, a bank robbery occurred(Nov. 12th 09')
and Abramski was labeled a suspect based off of the CCTV footage of the robbery
being in resemblance to him and the fact that he had been fired from Roanoke PD,(allegedly for theft)
and was recently separated from his wife. He fit the make and model of a suspect according to the Feds.
so;............
9 months AFTER he bought the gun for his Uncle(and the bank robbery),
he's arrested as a suspect in the Bank Robbery.
Under the Federal Investigation
............executing the search warrant for the Iron Ridge Road property,
agents found and seized a green Franklin Community Bank zippered bag
containing the written receipt confirming the transfer of the
Glock 19 handgun from Abramski to Alvarez on November 21, 2009.............
All the bank Robbery charges were eventually dropped against him.
The he was subsequently charged with 'Falsifying the 4473' charge,
which he fought all the way to the SCOTUS.
EDIT>
Also note that this was a (5-4 ruling)
Writing for the four dissenters, Justice Antonin Scalia accused the court majority
of making it *a federal crime for one lawful gun owner to buy a gun for another lawful gun owner.*
Joining his dissent were Chief Justice John Roberts and Justices Clarence Thomas and Samuel Alito.
Just like the Circuit Courts before hand, they didn't all agree.
Like our Circuit,(The 5th) who said
such a transaction would have been LAWFUL and already ruled so 17 years ago.
But since they all had different rulings, the SCOTUS said they'd take the case on
to make a FINAL ruling. Yet even then they STILL didn't all agree obviously.
/
