WASHINGTON (Pakistan Point News / Sputnik - 13th October, 2020) The US government has charged more than 14,000 people with crimes involving guns during the full Fiscal Year 2020, which ended on September 30, the Department of Justice announced in a press release on Tuesday.
"Today, the Justice Department announced it has charged more than 14,200 defendants with firearms-related crimes during Fiscal Year (FY) 2020, despite the challenges of COVID-19 and its impact on the criminal justice process," the release stated.
Attorney General William Barr made the prosecution of crimes involving firearms a� priority in November 2019 when he announced his commitment to investigating, prosecuting, and combatting them as a critical part of the department's anti-violent crime strategy.
"These firearms-related charges are the result of the critical law enforcement partnership between U.S. Attorneys' Offices and the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives (ATF), led by Acting Director Regina Lombardo, who has made firearms-related investigations a priority," the release explained.
Under Federal US law, it is illegal to possess a firearm for convicted felons, illegal aliens, or unlawful users of controlled substances, or in carrying out any drug trafficking offense or violent crime, the Justice Department said.
