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Don't Lie for the Other Guy campaign aims to prevent illegal firearm sales

Posted at 8:02 PM, Jan 30, 2017
and last updated 2017-01-30 20:13:19-05

CINCINNATI -- City leaders, state officials joined members of the National Shooting Sports Foundation Monday to raise awareness for Don’t Lie for the Other Guy, a national campaign aimed at preventing illegal firearm sales.

The campaign has been advertised on billboards throughout Greater Cincinnati to raise awareness about illegally purchasing a firearm for someone else, a federal offense punishable by a $250,000 fine and/or 10 years in prison.

Retailers that sell firearms, like The Bass Pro Shop, require a federal firearms form to be completed. The Bass Pro Shop requires an electronic form, which includes a criminal background check that can be confirmed in seconds.

Bill Dillaha, general manager of The Bass Pro Shop, said prospective firearm buyers have to answer a series of questions and provide proper identification to be approved for purchase.

But even Dillaha admits that even those precautions don’t completely prevent illegal firearm sales.

“Usually that happens through secondary sales when a rightful and legal purchaser bought it, and subsequently down the line they sold it and didn’t check out the individual they sold it to,” Dillaha said.

Police said the gun used in the deadly shooting at Our Daily Bread soup kitchen earlier this month was given to the suspect illegally by a man who wasn’t permitted to have a firearm himself. 

These situations are exactly what the campaign tries to prevent, said Benjamin Glassman, U.S. Attorney for Southern District of Ohio.

"So far the results have been good in terms of violent crime being down in Southwest Ohio,” Glassman said. “Enforcement is one important part of preventing gun violence.”