On August 28, 2022, in Utica, New York, the Attorney General's office of Letitia James paid out over $21,000 in gift cards for 3D printed "ghost guns". The guns were printed by an anonymous entrepreneur on a $200 printer he received for Christmas.
Letitia James took credit for the "buyback" of "ghost guns" at Utica. "Buyback" is an Orwellian term. The guns which are turned in were never owned by the governmnt. The AG did not mention the mass purchase of 3D printed guns, although they mentioned 177 "ghost guns". From the ag.ny.gov:
NEW YORK – New York Attorney General Letitia James announced that 296 firearms, including 177 ghost guns, were turned in to law enforcement at a gun buyback event hosted by her office and the Utica Police Department. The Office of the Attorney General (OAG) accepts — with no questions asked — working and non-working, unloaded firearms in exchange for compensation on site. Yesterday’s event is a part of Attorney General James’ ongoing efforts to combat gun violence and protect New Yorkers throughout the state. To date, Attorney General James has taken more than 3,300 firearms out of communities through gun buyback events and other initiatives since taking office in 2019.
The man interviewed by wktv.com assumed the nom de guerre of "Kem". Kem stated he obtained $21,000 in gift cards for 110 3D printed guns he created and turned in at the "buyback".
"I'm sure handing over $21,000 in gift cards to some punk kid after getting a bunch of plastic junk was a rousing success," laughed Kem. "Gun buybacks are a fantastic way of showing, number one, that your policies don't work, and, number 2, you're creating perverse demand. You're causing people to show up to these events, and, they don't actually reduce crime whatsoever."
The AG said the event netted 177 "ghost guns". It appears more than one
"Kem" utilized the event to obtain some of the valuta Letitia James was
handing out.
177 "ghost guns" reported to have been turned in at the Utica event. 110 turned in by "Kem". That leaves 67 turned in by others. Considering Kem's success, the 67 others would have brought in another $13,400 for the anonymous entrepreneur(s).
As reported from the Letitia James' New York AG office:
“It’s shameful that this individual exploited a program that has successfully taken thousands of guns off the streets to protect our communities from gun violence. We have partnered with local police throughout the state to recover more than 3,500 guns, and one individual’s greedy behavior won’t tarnish our work to promote public safety. We have adjusted our policies to ensure that no one can exploit this program again for personal gain.”
The program in Utica was advertised as paying out $250 per "assault rifle" and $150 per handgun. "Kem" says he printed out a variety of firearms. The payout of $21,000 was negotiated over hours.
From one day before the event, on the oneidadispatch.com:
The OAG accepts both working and non-working firearms and there is no limit on the number of firearms an individual can turn in. The guns must be transported to the drop-off site unloaded, in the trunk of the
vehicle, in a plastic or paper bag, or box. This is an amnesty program,
in which no questions will be asked about the gun or the person dropping off the gun.
Sounds like an actionable contract.
Anonymous. No questions asked. No limit on the number of firearms which may be turned in.
It was a golden opportunity for Kem and anonymous others to cash in and do some human rights activism, while showing the cupidity or perfidy of Letitia James.
Academic studies show the events do more harm than good.
Most of the other guns turned in appear to be rather ordinary. Here is an image from Letitia James' office:
Image of Utica guns turned in: AG Letitia James' office[/caption]The three "assault rifles" appear to be a Hipoint carbine, a .22 rimfire version of the AR15, and a tricked out Ruger ranch rifle with a large scope and an aftermarket stock.
At least four of the handguns are air/CO2 guns; there are about a dozen antiques, and a couple of modern cap and ball revolvers. One of the antiques appears to be an Allen and Wheelock Sidehammer revolver. Only about a thousand were produced, because of a patent infringement lawsuit by Smith & Wesson. They are a highly sought after collectible pistol. None were manufactured after 1862. The revolver is at least 160 years old. ©2022 by Dean Weingarten: Permission to share is granted when this notice and link are included.
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