CNN decided to “investigate” the number of people who lie on the 4473 forms, which are used when someone purchases a firearm. It asks basic questions like your name, address, date of birth and if you’ve committed a number of criminal violations. When you fill it out you check a simple “yes” or “no” on each question. Lying on 4473 is a felony that can result in a hefty fine and up to 10 years in prison.
What’s silly is it took an “investigation” for CNN to realize a fact that gun rights advocates have been saying for years: criminals lie. And the Department of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives (ATF) very rarely prosecutes those who are caught lying on the form.
Here’s what their “investigation” found:
Past and present ATF agents and prosecutors told CNN that, given limited resources, they’re not inclined to prioritize the nonviolent crime of lying on a form over more serious charges, like gun trafficking. The very few “lie and try” cases they prosecute focus on dangerous “trigger pullers” who clearly know they’re prohibited from owning a firearm — career criminals with a history of violence or activity in the drug trade.
But a 2006 internal ATF briefing paper obtained by CNN suggests that gun form liars are far more likely to go on to commit a gun crime than even many experts recognize. When ATF analyzed firearm denial cases sent to field offices for investigation during a seven-year period, it found that 10%-21% of that group went on to be arrested for a crime involving guns.
by Beth Baumann
