Latest news with #FederalFirearmsLicensees
Yahoo
27-03-2025
- Yahoo
Humble man sentenced in relation to scheme to illegally ship firearms to Iraq
The Brief 53-year-old Yashab Idnan Sandhu was sentenced to 42 months in federal prison in relation to a scheme to illegally ship firearms to Iraq. Law enforcement ultimately traced 38 pistols with obliterated serial numbers to R's Golf & Guns, an FFL for whom Sandhu was a "responsible person." Sandhu was permitted to remain on bond and voluntarily surrender to a U.S. Bureau of Prisons facility to be determined in the near future. HOUSTON - A 53-year-old Humble resident has been sentenced to federal prison for providing false information on federally mandated firearms records, according to U.S. Attorney Nicholas J. Ganjei. According to a release, Yashab Idnan Sandhu, pleaded guilty back in July 2023. U.S. District Judge Andrew Hanen ordered Sandhu to serve 42 months in federal prison to be immediately followed by three years of supervised release. What they're saying "The Southern District of Texas is pleased to have worked with the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives (ATF) to have intercepted this shipment of guns before they reached Iraq, and used for whatever unknown purpose," said Ganjei. "Being a responsible gun dealer is not just a matter of business; it's a fundamental duty to safeguard public safety and uphold the trust placed in our agency by the American people," said ATF Special Agent in Charge Michael Weddel. "ATF puts great trust in Federal Firearms Licensees (FFLs), to include 'responsible persons,' as they carry significant responsibility. When that trust is violated, it undermines the confidence the public has in the system. ATF Houston is committed to maintaining public safety, which includes holding these FFLs and their associated employees responsible when the laws and regulations are not followed." The backstory Officials said the investigation began March 13, 2020, when authorities discovered a cache of handguns concealed in a shipping crate addressed to Iraq at a Port of Houston warehouse. They recovered approximately 473 handguns, 38 of which were pistols with obliterated serial numbers. Law enforcement ultimately traced 38 pistols with obliterated serial numbers to R's Golf & Guns, an FFL for whom Sandhu was a "responsible person." A responsible person is someone who has the authority and power to direct firearm compliance decisions and operations for an FFL, the release stated. The investigation revealed Sandhu had sold these firearms to a suspected firearms smuggler. As part of his plea, Sandhu admitted he went back to previously completed forms and added the firearms, falsely reporting they had been sold to other innocent persons. What's next Sandhu was permitted to remain on bond and voluntarily surrender to a U.S. Bureau of Prisons facility to be determined in the near future. The Source Information provided by the U.S. Attorney's Office - Southern District of Texas.
Yahoo
30-01-2025
- Politics
- Yahoo
US court axes handgun sales ban to adults under 21
A conservative US appeals court ruled on Thursday that a law banning the sale of handguns by federally licensed firearms dealers to adults under the age of 21 is unconstitutional. Federal law prohibits Federal Firearms Licensees from selling handguns to persons between the ages of 18 to 21, although parents can buy them for their children or they can purchase them themselves in private sales or at gun shows. While Americans under the age of 21 cannot currently purchase a handgun from a federally licensed dealer, they can buy a rifle or shotgun. In its ruling, the 5th US Circuit Court of Appeals said the law passed by Congress in 1968 banning handgun sales by licensed dealers to adults under the age of 21 violated the Second Amendment to the US Constitution. "The operative clause of the Second Amendment states that 'the right of the people to keep and bear Arms, shall not be infringed,'" a three-judge appeals court panel said. "There are no age or maturity restrictions in the plain text of the Amendment, as there are in other constitutional provisions" such as the requirement that members of the US House of Representatives be at least 25 years old, they said. "This suggests that the Second Amendment lacks a minimum age requirement," they said. "Ultimately, the text of the Second Amendment includes eighteen- to twenty-year-old individuals among 'the people' whose right to keep and bear arms is protected." The law was challenged by three nonprofit gun rights groups -- the Firearms Policy Coalition, the Second Amendment Foundation and the Louisiana Shooting Club -- along with several individuals between the ages of 18 and 21. Everytown Law, a gun violence prevention organization, denounced the ruling, calling it "reckless and unfounded." "The law that prohibits dealers from selling handguns to those under twenty-one is both constitutional and crucial for public safety," said Janet Carter, senior director of issues and appeals at Everytown Law. "Firearms are the leading cause of death for children and teens, and 18-to-20-year-olds commit gun homicides at triple the rate of adults 21 and over, according to FBI statistics," Carter said, adding she hopes the federal government will contest Thursday's decision. The Supreme Court, in June of last year, upheld a federal law prohibiting domestic abusers from possessing a firearm, reversing a ruling by the 5th US Circuit Court of Appeals which had said the restriction was unconstitutional. cl/md
