CHARLOTTE — Local guns are increasingly being used in crimes both domestically and internationally, with firearms from the Carolinas appearing in the hands of criminals in Latin America and in Charlotte-area homicides.
Many of these guns are either stolen or acquired through straw purchasers, individuals who buy firearms on behalf of others who cannot legally purchase them.
Earlier this week, it was reported that guns from the Carolinas are being found with cartel members in Latin America, highlighting the international reach of this illegal trade.
Straw purchasing is a significant issue, as it allows individuals who are prohibited from buying guns to obtain them through middlemen.Oftentimes, guns used in Charlotte crimes do not belong to the shooter.
Lawrence Cameron, the acting U.S. Attorney for the Western District of North Carolina, said at times, straw purchasers or professional gun traffickers are to blame.
“Those who are allowed to purchase firearms legitimately and legally, but then go and sell those guns to others who can’t purchase them legally themselves, or for whatever reasons, don’t want to purchase them legally themselves,” Cameron said.
Last year, George Bates, of Charlotte, pleaded guilty to dealing in firearms without a license.
It started with a single gun that popped up multiple times across Charlotte.
“There was an AR-style pistol that had been used in six separate shootings,” Cameron said. “Law enforcement was able to trace that pistol and learn that it had been originally purchased by Mr. Bates.”
According to court documents, three other guns bought by Bates were later recovered in other crimes.
The U.S. Attorney’s Office said agents searched Bates’s house and found 146 guns inside.
Electronic records showed Bates sold more than 446 firearms without a license over four years.
Bates was sentenced to two years in prison for dealing guns without a license.
Cameron said gun trafficking is a significant problem in the community.
Law enforcement is efficient at tracing the guns, and they’ve found firearms from the Carolinas popping up at crime scenes in other states, too, Cameron said.
He said this is a crime that his office takes seriously to prevent gun violence.
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