Gun Shop Sued by NY AG
- Thread starter REF
- Start date
He is Being prosecuted, .BY THE FUCKING AG, for violating New York’s gun safety laws. ..A 1st a degree misdemeanor. plus yanking the right to operate his Gunshop. Criminal and Civil penalties.
His guns WERE found in Philly, Barbados, etc etc.....
The office wants to stop Bowman from owning or operating a gun shop in New York and to return money the shop made improperly and pay fines for violating the law.
I'd say his goose is cooked........... well done.
His guns WERE found in Philly, Barbados, etc etc.....
The office wants to stop Bowman from owning or operating a gun shop in New York and to return money the shop made improperly and pay fines for violating the law.
I'd say his goose is cooked........... well done.
Misdemeanor. Eh... No rights lost. Listen, this guy may or may not be a scumbag. I don't know. Do you personally know him? Point is it does seem like a lot of grandstanding over a misdemeanor. Class A or not. Having an unserialized lower is the same offense. It certainly wouldn't make you a criminal mastermind.
Return the Money to who? Always follow the money, you know that.
Stolen Guns turn up where ever there's a market for them.
NYS Can yank his NY Dealers Licenses, might be able to refuse to conduct NICS Checks, but the Federal Firearms Licenses is out of their purview...A NY Dealers Licenses IS NOT required to conduct business in NY unless you're selling Handguns in NYS to New Yorkers.
Businesses can "go bankrupt" Close, sell out to someone else...sometimes that's the best thing to do...wonder if they'll have a "Fire Sale"?
His Goose might be cooking, but it ain't done yet!
AI Overview
Yes, individuals or businesses in New York (NY) who want to deal in firearms (FFL) must obtain a New York State (NYS) dealer's license in addition to the Federal Firearms License (FFL). This means that to legally sell, transfer, or manufacture firearms in NY, you need both a federal and state license.
AI Overview
In New York, a misdemeanor conviction can disqualify you from owning a gun, particularly if it's a violent or domestic-related offense. Specifically, certain misdemeanors (especially those involving domestic violence) can trigger federal and state prohibitions on firearm possession. Additionally, a New York State pistol permit can be disqualified for misdemeanor offenses within the past five years or for serious offenses, among other reasons.
This sob is being investigated by the DOJ/ATF and NYSP....he will likely be prosecuted as a felon, soon as the case cn be proven to a jury...;done deal..... that it was an inside job.
Yes, individuals or businesses in New York (NY) who want to deal in firearms (FFL) must obtain a New York State (NYS) dealer's license in addition to the Federal Firearms License (FFL). This means that to legally sell, transfer, or manufacture firearms in NY, you need both a federal and state license.
AI Overview
In New York, a misdemeanor conviction can disqualify you from owning a gun, particularly if it's a violent or domestic-related offense. Specifically, certain misdemeanors (especially those involving domestic violence) can trigger federal and state prohibitions on firearm possession. Additionally, a New York State pistol permit can be disqualified for misdemeanor offenses within the past five years or for serious offenses, among other reasons.
This sob is being investigated by the DOJ/ATF and NYSP....he will likely be prosecuted as a felon, soon as the case cn be proven to a jury...;done deal..... that it was an inside job.
Acer-m14
20×102mm Vulcan
..... WE DONT CARE ANYMORE WHAT THE STATE SAYS ...
He, most certainly does.
Just because you don't like a law or NYS rules, does not make it go away........we live behind an iron curtain.
Hochul is going to try to change congressional districts again, to stop MAGA voters from electing MAGA Congress people.............
Just because you don't like a law or NYS rules, does not make it go away........we live behind an iron curtain.
Hochul is going to try to change congressional districts again, to stop MAGA voters from electing MAGA Congress people.............
This is a bit long, but informative, I highlighted a part in the first paragraph that should be noted:
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Letitia James’ Secret Campaign Against Dealers in Firearms - Flushed Out, Finally. |
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| Good morning. Late yesterday morning, in open court, upon the record, an Assistant Attorney General for the State of New York finally admitted what New York State Attorney General Letitia James is doing to grab the power she thinks will allow her to attack NYS-Licensed Dealers in Firearms, who also hold ATF-issued federal licenses. The scam is tied to the NYS Police “inspections.” The officer goes into the FFL retail dealer in firearms, flashes a “checklist” to conduct an “inspection,” then disappears that “checklist” through a computer portal to the NYS Attorney General, who opens a secret dossier on the FFL and launches an “investigation” to determine whether those “violations” are “persistent.” The next action is a NYS Attorney General extra-judicial subpoena for records, then deposition, then a written “findings” and “penalties” document they call an “Assurance.” If you challenge the law or the facts, the NY Attorney General Letitia James then issues an official government press release against, including, but not limited to, false claims of illegal conduct, that is picked up by the media with sensational headlines. And sues you. For money and all sorts of things not even listed in a statute. Let me be clear about one thing and then we’ll go into a discussion and a recommended plan of action. |
| In the span of one hour in court, yesterday morning in Franklin County, everything we have ever known about our industry, as designed by Congress through the 1968 Gun Control Act, has changed for those FFLs with business premises in New York, who are concurrent New York State licensed “Dealers in Firearms.” Buckle up, and let’s go through this. |
| Walk the James Walk. |
| Start from the new Square One: the New York Attorney General has no general statutory authority conferred by the NYS Legislature to oversee state-licensed dealers in firearms. The only executive branch officer, office, agency, division, or department with routine authority is the New York State Police. All licenses are conferred, administered, and oversee by county government, including County Clerks, Sheriffs, and County Court Judges. |
| Step Two: In 2022, a new state law was ushered in, namely NY General Business Law section 875, which, on its face, granted new powers to the Superintendent of NYS Police over state-licensed dealers. It includes subdivision “g,” which references triennial “inspections” to occur on-site at the dealer premises. The words “Attorney General” do not appear in this statute. By contrast, the word “Superintendent” of the NYS Police is even defined. |
| Step Three: NYSP In The House. On June 24, 2023, the first known Dealer “inspection” took place. Dealers reported everything from being told it was “educational” and nothing would start until “2027” to the officer was “doing a survey for the Attorney General” to “I’m not here to f--- you up” to “I have no idea what I’m doing – we haven’t been given any training – uh, um, can you tell me what a book of acquisitions and dispositions is?” Those officers went from the retail shop back to their desk and checked a bunch of boxes and hit “ENTER.” |
| Step Four: Crickets. There has been no known Dealer receipt of follow-up communication from the NYS Police for any NYS Police officer on-site. No notice of an alleged violation. No criminal misdemeanor charge under NY GBL 875-i. No known request to charge from the Superintendent of the NYS Police to the NY Attorney General or a County District Attorney. No state-issued license revocation. In fact, Dealers who hosted an NYSP officer with courtesy and professionalism at their shop have repeatedly had their state licenses renewed in the interim. |
| Step Five: Extra-Judicial Subpoenas. In March 2024 to one Dealer and then in June 2024 to two more Dealers – all up here in North Country – received extra-judicial subpoenas signed by the same Assistant Attorney General, Martha Grieco, demanding records. These extra-judicial subpoenas (signed by Grieco, in the absence of any court case, proceeding, or judicial oversight) did not contain the digits “875.” In fact, the State, in a sworn court document, denied that the extra-judicial subpoenas were related to NY GBL 875. But then, in an about-face, a few days later, swore out another document that plainly stated the extra-judicial subpoenas were for records under NY GBL 875. |
| Step Six: The State Court Cases. Fall 2024, all three Dealers in North Country sued the NY Attorney General to quash the extra-judicial subpoenas. For one Dealer, the court decided that his pro se (without legal representation) effort to respond to the subpoena waived his right to move to quash it. (His case is on appeal.) For the other two Dealers, we were in NYS Supreme Court yesterday, where, after approximately fifty minutes of my unwavering argument that there is no authority under NY GBL 875 to the NY Attorney General for any purpose, the Assistant AG arguing the case came out with the program being run through their office in conjunction with the NYS Police. |
| The NYSP Come Clean. |
| The NYSP Comes Clean. Now, before we talk about what we’re all going to do next together, let me share the weird sh-- messaging of the NYS Police. On May 30, 2025, in the case I argued yesterday, I submitted a memorandum of law that went ballistic over the sworn admission in the preceding submission by Grieco that she had “requested and received” records from the NYS Police. Grieco did not supply the “records,” did not itemize them, did not describe them, did not supply an affidavit from Michael Deyo (Counsel to the NYS Police, who has been the “enabling witness” in Gazzola for police records they wanted admitted), did not supply an affidavit from the officer(s), did not supply a self-authenticating government document. Nada. Hell, who knows if what the AAG claimed is even true. |
| But then: the phone rang. To one of my plaintiff clients in a different case. A guy, claiming to be from the NY NICS Unit, that it had been in error for them to give the Attorney General’s Office any papers, that it had come down “from the highest ranks” that there would be no more on-site “inspections” by anyone other than members of the NY NICS Unit who would get specialized training, and that officers were directed not to write down anything about Dealers for any reason so that there could be no records to be requested. Wow, like a WWII back channel diplomacy pouch. Gave his name. Gave his number. |
| Except that it happened, again. A witness in one of my cases also received a phone call, emphasizing that the change in police in house was from the “highest – and I mean the highest” though short of using the word “Superintendent.” Gave his name. Gave his number. And then: an officer walked into another Dealer. Gave his name. Gave his number. |
| And then, an officer on site, who was telling the officer to get lost because the person was not a state-licensed dealer, only a federally-licensed dealer, said he was calling his office to find out what to do, and, apparently, rather inelegantly, the officer was told to get off the premises because he wasn’t supposed to be there. (Don’t have his name or number.) And? I haven’t heard of an “inspection” since. |
| The Section 898 James Game. |
| The Section 898 James Game. Yesterday morning, the AAG admitted in court the NY AG is after – not really 875 – the mish mash melee of NY GBL 898 (note that it was amended to its current form in 2021). She wants to accuse you, the state-licensed Dealers in Firearms, of being responsible for street crime. Of community guns in known little free gun libraries. Of crime guns dropped down sewer manhole covers. Of hunks of metal obliterated of serial numbers. Of firearms stolen out of peoples’ homes by criminals, convicted and unsolved. Letitia James is coming for you in the new “Section 898 James Game” of state-licensed dealers in firearms are a “public nuisance.” The NY AG is flat-out abusing 875 to call the NYSP “records” her “basis” that there is a violation of law allowing her to “investigate” you – with no statute of limitations under 898, mind you – so that she can do to you what she’s doing to the three state-licensed Dealers here in North Country. |
| Letitia James has started steam-rolling state-licensed Dealer in Firearms. Not through a license suspension or revocation hearing, akin to a concealed carry permit hearing. Nope, you should have seen the Judge’s facial expression yesterday when I emphasized to him that my clients are 100% continuously licensed with not even a whisper of notification of a claim of a violation of 875. |
| There have been no arrests because Hochul and James don’t want to create a party with vaulted criminal defense rights. No license hearing for the same reasons. Indeed, the squadron of five AAG attorneys after my North Country clients repeatedly, for more than a year, have filed emergency submission after emergency submission where no emergency existed – these Dealers are fully licensed and there is zero allegation of any violation of federal or state law for a firearms sale, transfer, or item in inventory. Any allegation concerning two-year video storage or in-safe storage of firearms while closed is not only pending these past three years in Gazzola v. Hochul, there is NO alleged violation by the New York State Police in admissible form or otherwise concerning the two Dealers before the court yesterday morning. |
| A criminal court case would be an entirely different configuration than the “special proceeding” pursued by the New York Attorney General Letitia James and her Assistants. A civil license case would be an entirely different configuration than the “special proceeding” pursued by the New York Attorney General Letitia James and her Assistants. |
| The attorneys working for NY Attorney General Letitia James are doing everything imaginable to prevent my clients even from having rights of discovery within a case with judicial oversight, by using short-cuts, that were not designed for this flagrant, now public, pursuit by the state’s attorney general, to terminate the Second Amendment rights of individuals by shutting down federally-licensed dealers in firearms. |
| What To Do NOW. |
| #1. HIRE A CRIM DEF ATTORNEY – now. I cannot sufficiently emphasize. If you are a state-licensed “Dealer in Firearms” who was visited by a NYS Police officer with any relation to, comment concerning, or hint of a “checklist,” an “inspection,” an “educational,” a “survey for the Attorney General.” You are already in need of a criminal defense attorney. You need to get on the phone today to schedule an appointment for early next week, and you need to take this e-blast plus any and all paperwork given to you or left with you by the NYSP officer(s) who went to your shop. The crim def guys and gals and their criminal expertise is what is needed to resist and fight the AAGs in these state proceedings. |
| #2. Get Off The Sofa and Get to Your Local FFL – now. Everyone must network this information immediately to every FFL in New York. I am one person. Every dealer – “inspected” or not – needs this information. We are going to need a comprehensive dealer database of those effected. I will be adding a page to my websites with this information, as soon as possible, but this is the fastest means available this morning and this cannot wait. Right now, I need you to get off your sofa on this Friday morning and tomorrow Saturday morning, and hoof it into Dealers everywhere across this state, whether you’re a customer there or not. They need to know that what is happening is not in any law book they' or their counsel have been trying to read these past three years. |
| #3. Call all 2A everyone. Everyone must immediately call the heads of all Second Amendment advocacy organizations, conservation federations, rod & gun clubs, ranges, etc. to share this e-blast. Letitia James is two full years ahead of us. We are going to need manpower because we need someone bigger than us, and that requires signaling to coordinate activism, and that requires the organizations to re-establish post-“SAFE Act” coordination. You, the membership, need to make this a priority issue within your organizations. Lots of you have September and October meeting dates on the books. Get ready to get back in the saddle. |
| Wrap Up. |
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Letitia James’ Secret Campaign Against Dealers in Firearms - Flushed Out, Fin |
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| #4. Call the following NYS Legislators: Get them a copy of this e-blast. Don’t even pause to have an emotional reaction and put down your objections. Get on the phone. Today. Right now. Our industry is under siege and that means your Second Amendment rights are in a kind of jeopardy you may not have appreciated until now. Tell them Letitia James, Attorney General, and the attorneys of her office have been mounting an offense against our industry, state wide, and that their two test cases in the North County just back-fired because they blew their cover. NYS Assemblyman William Barclay – Fulton office – (315) 598-5185 NYS Senator Robert Ortt – Lockport office – (716) 434-0680 Tell them to call for an investigation into the abuse of power of the New York Attorney General against the law-abiding people of the State of New York seeking to exercise their Second and Fourteenth Amendment rights through a state and federally-licensed dealer in firearms. The NY AG Letitia James is running secret dossiers against dealers in conjunction with the NYSP and that she is attempting to shut down the industry without legal authority from the NYS Legislature. My one call isn’t going to do anything. I need YOU - many of you - to pick up the phone and call them and insist upon their involvement. It’s their laws that screwed this thing up in the first place, and the NY AG isn’t even adhering to the letter of their laws. |
| #5. Call John Sarcone. (Who?) Sarcone is the Acting U.S. Department of Justice Northern District of New York prosecutor in charge. (518) 431-0247. Get this e-blast into his hands. He’s the attorney already looking into Letitia James use of her position, her office, and her self. A number of you have been telling me you’re trying to contact U.S. Attorney General Bondi. Make it local and make it matter. This is a systematic NY AG + NYSP “records” and “inspections” go after federally-licensed dealers in firearms operating so that you can’t exercise your individual Second Amendment rights. Sarcone is the local guy tasked with the day-to-day work on the case. Let’s make sure he even realizes he needs to be looking in this direction. |
| Wrap Up. |
| We are going to have to get bigger. We are going to have to do this build-out as a united coalition. Those with FFL Type-01 licenses, who own small retail shops and who work from their homes, those who serve as the engine of the Second Amendment lawful purchase and transfer of firearms, are not the size and might of the NRA or Smith & Wesson or President Trump. If NY AG Letitia James surges the statewide field with what she’s trying to get away with up here in North Country, let me tell you this: the only red you’re going to see this hunting season is the word “CLOSED” on the hardware store bought sign hanging on the door of your local gun shop. It is time to circle the wagons. |
MikeyCNY
6.5 Creedmoor
Thanks for the updates! Absolutely ridiculous.. I know of at least three FFLs who have closed up shop in NYS because of the BS involved.