[Congressional Record Volume 153, Number 20 (Thursday, February 1, 2007)]
[Senate]
[Page S1516]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




                        ILLEGAL GUN TRAFFICKING

  Mr. LEVIN. Mr. President, there is growing awareness across the 
country that too little has been done to combat illegal gun 
trafficking. This awareness was validated by a report released last 
week by the Brady Center to Prevent Gun Violence which revealed that 
some licensed gun dealers are complicit in aiding gun traffickers, yet 
remain largely untouched by the law.
  The report, ``Shady Dealings: Illegal Gun Trafficking from Licensed 
Gun Dealers,'' was released in Philadelphia, a city that is combating a 
sharp increase in gun violence. In 2002, the city reached a 17-year low 
in homicides with 288. However, since then, homicide rates have soared. 
Last year, the city suffered 406 homicides and is on track to exceed 
that total in 2007. The report documents over two dozen cases of 
illegal gun trafficking from dealers across the country. In each case, 
gunrunners were prosecuted; however, the dealers who supplied them 
received no legal sanctions.
  ``Shady Dealings'' documents several scenarios in which dealers turn 
a blind eye to clear indications of gunrunning. In-store straw 
purchases are transactions that violate Federal law in which one 
individual submits to the required Federal background check for a gun 
that is clearly intended for use by someone else. Multiple purchases of 
the same model gun by an individual should be an indication that the 
guns are not for personal use. Large volume sales of handguns should be 
a red flag to dealers. In one case, a gun dealer sold 87 pistols to a 
gun trafficker's straw buyer in a single transaction. Another red flag 
for trafficking should occur when a single buyer makes repeated 
purchases from a dealer. In one instance, a trafficker from Ohio made 
at least 19 visits to a particular gun shop, yet was never turned away. 
Dealer sales to traffickers at gun shows present special opportunities 
for trafficking. A single gun dealer in Georgia was recorded selling 
eight guns to one trafficker and 20 additional pistols to two other 
traffickers. Several of the weapons were recovered by the New York City 
police, and one of them was used to shoot a New York City police 
officer.
  Unfortunately, making life easier for gun traffickers presents the 
opportunity for financial reward with little to no consequence for gun 
dealers. Not one of the dealers profiled in the Brady Center report has 
been put out of business by the ATF or prosecuted for selling guns to 
convicted gun traffickers. As a result, the underground market for guns 
is fueled the diversion of massive numbers of guns from licensed gun 
dealers into the hands of criminals. Almost 60 percent of the guns 
traced to crime by the ATF originated from only about 1 percent of the 
Nation's gun dealers. Additionally, approximately 30 percent of the 
guns traced to crime were traced within 3 years of their retail sale. I 
urge my colleagues to take up and pass sensible gun legislation that 
will help prevent such egregious acts and help protect the welfare of 
our communities.

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