New York State has ordered 16 websites to stop marketing parts needed to assemble military-style assault weapons, which are illegal in the state, Attorney General Letitia James said in a press release on Monday
WASHINGTON (Pakistan Point News / Sputnik - 23rd September, 2019) New York State has ordered 16 websites to stop marketing parts needed to assemble military-style assault weapons, which are illegal in the state, Attorney General Letitia James said in a press release on Monday."These companies have been providing the means to violate the state's assault weapons ban, and often specifically advertise their products as a way to evade law enforcement with phrases like, 'If they don't know you have it, they can't take it,'" the release said.
The release said James sent cease-and-desist orders to all 16 firms, threatening penalties of up to $5,000 for each gun sold plus confiscation of existing inventories.
A loophole exploited by so-called ghost gun sellers involves a part known as the "lower receiver," which holds the upper, lower and rear portions of the gun together and is responsible for firing the bullet, the release explained.
The receiver is the only part of an assault rifle legally defined as a gun, so sellers ship partially complete receivers lacking certain holes, slots and cavities so that the item is not legally considered a firearm, the release said.
"Purchasers on these websites must only make a few small changes with a common drill press to transform an unfinished receiver into a fully operational one," the release said.
Once modified, the customer can assemble an assault weapon that is unregistered and not branded with a serial number, according to the release.
