Gun Shop Files Report With ATF, Claims CBS May Have Committed 'Very Serious Crime' for Anti-Gun Segment

A gun store owner in Alexandria, Virginia, is accusing CBS News of possibly committing a “straw purchase and procurement of a firearm under false pretenses,” which would constitute a federal crime.

In an anti-gun segment intended to show how easy it is to purchase an AR-15 rifle, CBS reporter Paula Reid bought the firearm at SpecDive Tactical and then transferred the gun to a “federally licensed firearms dealer” just a few hours later.

(CBS News)

Ryan Lamke, general manager of SpecDive, told the Washington Free Beacon Reid paid for the rifle with cash, claiming she planned to “undergo training.” He claimed the reporter “refused basic, free instruction of firearms safety under the pretense that she was using the firearm for training with a NRA certified instructor.”

“Due to the information provided in the CBS News report filed today, I suspect Ms. Reid committed a straw purchase and procurement of a firearm under false pretenses,” he added.

Watch the report below via CBS:

The owner of the gun shop, Jerry Rapp, echoed Lamke’s statements, saying an individual is guilty “trying to bypass the legal pathway to firearms ownership” when he or she “knowingly” tries to buy a gun with the “intent of giving it to another person.” He called it a “very serious crime.”

Rapp accused CBS News of “potentially committing a felony just to boost their ratings and mislead the general public.”

Reid defended the purchase and transfer on Twitter Friday:

The Virginia State Police and Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms, and Explosives have been made aware of the case. The ATF told the Free Beacon it’s unclear if any laws were broken.

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