ATF and Firearms Industry Join Forces to Stop Illegal Purchasing of Firearms in Houston

ATF and Firearms Industry Join Forces to Stop Illegal Purchasing of Firearms
in Houston

"Buy a gun for someone who can't and buy yourself 10 years in jail."

HOUSTON, June 24 /PRNewswire-USNewswire/ -- The Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco,
Firearms and Explosives and representatives from the National Shooting Sports
Foundation (NSSF) -- the trade association for the firearms industry -- today
jointly announced a major campaign to reduce significantly the illegal straw
purchases of firearms in Houston.

The program, called "Don't Lie for the Other Guy," was developed to raise
public awareness that it is a serious crime to purchase a firearm for someone
who cannot legally do so or for someone who does not otherwise want his or her
name associated with the purchase. The campaign is also designed to educate
firearms retailers on how to better detect and deter potential straw
purchases.

This campaign, which has been enhanced to better focus on firearm purchasers,
drives home the message that anyone attempting an illegal firearm purchase
faces a stiff federal penalty: Buy a gun for someone who can't and buy
yourself 10 years in jail.

Special Agent in Charge Dewey Webb of the ATF Houston Field Division said,
"The straw purchase of firearms is the first step in illegal firearms
trafficking and the first step towards a prison cell. If you illegally
purchase a firearm as part of a straw purchase scheme, you are just as
responsible as the person who uses that firearm in a crime. ATF will strictly
enforce the federal firearms laws to stop and prevent guns from getting into
the hands of criminals."

Residents and visitors to Houston will see Don't Lie for the Other Guy
billboards and posters as well as hear the campaign's strong message via radio
and television public service announcements (PSA). Outdoor media signs will be
displayed anywhere from four weeks to several months, and the PSA will be
played for the next month.

NSSF Senior Vice President and General Counsel Lawrence G. Keane said, "This
program has been welcomed by firearms retailers as a valuable educational tool
to better enable them to spot would-be straw purchasers and prevent illegal
straw purchases. Our goal in reaching out to the public is to warn them that
they would be committing a serious crime by attempting to purchase a firearm
for someone who cannot legally possess one. We applaud and appreciate the
support of the ATF for joining with members of our industry in this
cooperative effort."

The Don't Lie for the Other Guy program is a vital component of ATF's outreach
efforts to educate firearms dealers and their employees on how to better
recognize and deter the illegal purchase of firearms through straw purchases.
This program is an important tool for ATF to accomplish its mission of
reducing violent crime and protecting the public.
The campaign is reaching out to firearms retailers in the Houston area and
distributing Don't Lie retailer education kits. Each kit contains a training
video and brochure for the storeowner and staff as well as point-of-purchase
displays aimed to deter this illegal activity.

Don't Lie for the Other Guy is a joint program of ATF and NSSF.

SOURCE National Shooting Sports Foundation

PIO Franceska Perot of the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and
Explosives, Office: +1-281-372-2908, Cell: +1-281-914-8124; or Ted Novin of
National Shooting Sports Foundation, Office: +1-203-426-1320, Cell:
+1-202-253-1860