Gun Laws And 2a
Charlotte Launches Anti–Straw Purchase Push
ATF, U.S. Attorney, CMPD, and NSSF roll out ‘Don’t Lie for the Other Guy’ campaign warning of 15-year felonies
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✍️By ZRIntel Editorial Team📍Charlotte, North Carolina
Federal and local partners in Charlotte have launched a month-long public education effort to deter straw purchases, warning residents that buying a firearm for someone who cannot legally possess one is a federal felony carrying up to 15 years in prison and $250,000 in fines. The long-running National Shooting Sports Foundation program, Dont Lie for the Other Guy, will deploy high-visibility billboards, radio spots, and targeted digital ads across the region. Charlottes selection reflects ongoing gun-crime pressures and law-enforcement emphasis on cutting off illicit supply channels. Local retailers, who often spot suspect transactions first, say straw purchasing remains a weekly challenge. Charlotte-Mecklenburg Police reported seizing roughly 2,000 firearms in the first half of 2025, many linked to violent crimes and often obtained through intermediaries. Federal and local officials stressed that false statements on purchase forms and acting as a proxy buyer are prosecutable offenses, and warned penalties can escalate when firearms are trafficked across state lines or used in felonies. The campaign also includes retailer training kits and point-of-sale materials to help staff identify red flagssuch as buyers taking cues from a companion or displaying uncertainty about the firearms basic featuresand to refuse sales when appropriate under federal law. Organizers say the goal is two-fold: educate the public about severe legal consequences and reduce the flow of guns into criminal networks by closing a predictable leak in the pipeline.