Ghost Gun Scam Forces New York to Adjust Gun BuyBack Program
The seller took advantage of a loophole in the program to demonstrate that buybacks are futile in an era of 3-D printable weapons.
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New York Attorney General Letitia James has changed the rules of a state gun buyback program, after a participant exploited the system by using a 3D printer to make firearm parts in bulk that he then exchanged for $21,000 in gift cards, reports The Guardian. The seller took advantage of a loophole in the program, which entitled him to $350 for each of the printed parts, including a $100 premium, since they were deemed “ghost guns” lacking serial numbers, to demonstrate that buybacks are futile in an era of printable weapons.
He called the idea of buybacks “ridiculously stupid”, adding that “the people running this event are horribly uneducated about guns, gun crime and the laws surrounding the regulation of guns.” James’ office said it responded to the loophole by giving buyback personnel more discretion to determine the value of weapons being handed in, and setting a standard that all 3D-printed guns accepted by the program must be capable of being fired more than once.
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