i purchased a used gun that rumor has may possibly be stolen,how do i find this information?
2006-10-03 16:54:21 · 7 answers · asked by stephens6774 1 in Sports ➔ Outdoor Recreation ➔ Hunting
If you have already purchased the gun, I would contact an attorney before you do anything.
Receiving Stolen Property is a crime that does not require knowledge or intent (like Statutory Rape). Even if you had no idea that the weapon was stolen, you committed a crime when you purchased it.
If you heard that it is stolen from a reliable source and you can not afford an attorney (if your source that the weapon is stolen is reliable, get an attorney anyway) I would try and contact the local district attorney’s office first and explain to them what is going on and offer to help out anyway you can. If they don’t want to talk to you, contact the local or state police (preferably whichever has a firearms unit. The local PD should have one if you live in a city) and tell them what is going on.
If you purchased the weapon in good faith, I doubt anyone would bother you, but like I said, receiving stolen property is a crime that does not require intent or prior knowledge. You should be able to at least talk with an attorney for free or very cheap to get their recommendations.
Some police departments can be funny. I purchased a rifle from a stranger and prior to buying it, I tried to see if it was stolen. I called the local PD and they directed me to the state police firearms unit. I called the state PD and they told me this was the job of the local PD. I called the local PD again and they got mad that the state PD wasn’t doing their job and they told me this is a state PD issue. I called up the county PD and they said they could run the SN, but they can not release the results to the public. I then called the ATF and they didn’t want to get involved. So even if you try and work with the police, it may get you nowhere. I tried to work with them before I bought it, and no one wanted to help me (which never made sense as if the weapon was stolen, they would have had a lead for a potential bust).
I would recommend making your phone calls from a cell phone or long distance so you will have a printed record of who you called and when. That way if it comes back to bite you, you can prove that you tried to call the PD or the DA's office to work with them on this. Write doen who you talked to and a summary of what they said.
Anyway, best of luck to you. I commend you for trying to do the right thing.
2006-10-04 01:57:42 · answer #1 · answered by Slider728 6 · 1⤊ 0⤋
You should immediately contact your local police department. They will run the serial number stamped into the gun on L.E.I.N. (Law Enforcement Information Network) If it is stolen it should show up there. They may ask you to surrender the gun until the matter can be resolved. I suggest you do. As an NRA member and CCW holder, I would not normally tell anyone to surrender a gun, but if this thing IS stolen and later the police find it in YOUR possession - bad juju man... bad juju...
2006-10-04 00:10:22 · answer #2 · answered by Danno 2 · 1⤊ 0⤋
It's bad mojo to take property that has been stolen. First the real owner may like to have it back, second it the gun was used in commission of a felony you could be charged with the crime of accessory after the fact.
Contact your local SO, inform them of the transaction that brought you into possession of the gun, They will run it against the NCIC database and run you against the NCIC database to make sure you are legally able to own a firearm.
I will not transact with anyone that does not have a permit to purchase or is not an FFL dealer. I'd like to keep my A*hole being someone's prison sl&t.
2006-10-04 12:29:48 · answer #3 · answered by Anonymous · 0⤊ 1⤋
Rumor??? OK, Details? Where did you buy this gun? On the street? OR from a shop? If the guy was legit, you would not be asking..... Lots of guns are not called in. That's why the black market is so high. Your local ATF office can run a check for you. That's what they get paid for.
2006-10-04 11:33:49 · answer #4 · answered by lana_sands 7 · 0⤊ 1⤋
The police will let you know. I would volunteer it before they have occasion to find it themselves.
2006-10-04 00:28:38 · answer #5 · answered by B. Miller 2 · 0⤊ 0⤋
annonmous call to the police station asap
2006-10-04 00:48:42 · answer #6 · answered by Jewelz 2 · 0⤊ 1⤋
CALL THE POLICE
Trust me they'll let you know
2006-10-03 23:58:35 · answer #7 · answered by jimbostyll 2 · 0⤊ 0⤋