Buying a gun for someone else is now explicitly a federal crime

The US Justice Department is clarifying federal rules to make it easier to prosecute people who buy guns for others. This means that anyone who buys a gun for someone legally prohibited from owning one, or for someone who intends to use it in a crime, will face clear federal charges.

For years, prosecutors had to prove a buyer knew the gun would be used illegally, which was difficult. This rule change makes it a crime to buy a gun for someone else if that person is legally barred from owning one, or if the buyer knows the gun will be used in a crime. This shifts the burden of proof and makes 'straw purchases' much easier to prosecute, even if the buyer claims ignorance of the end-user's intent.