Bronx state senator brings out the big guns with bill to imprison firearms traffickers
Howard Simmons/New York Daily News
New York State Sen. Jeff Klein plans to introduce the bill boosting penalties against gun trafficking “kingpins” as early as Wednesday.
ALBANY — Bronx state Sen. Jeff Klein has answered Manhattan District Attorney Cy Vance, Jr.'s call for legislation cracking down on major gun traffickers.
Klein, leader of the Senate’s influential Independent Democratic Conference, told the Daily News he's introducing legislation as early as Wednesday to boost penalties for so called kingpins of gun trafficking and close off a loophole in New York criminal law that allows them to escape with jail sentences of as little as five years.
The legislation, if approved, would create a new class A-1 felony that gives firearms traffickers who illegally sell 20 or more guns in a year a minimum sentence of 15 years in prison and a maximum sentence of life in prison.
"These necessary protections will ensure that major firearms traffickers, who put all New Yorkers at risk, will face up to a lifetime in prison,” Klein said. "We must be vigilant against the trafficking of illegal firearms throughout our state, and this legislation will do just that."
The legislation comes a week after Vance and city cops busted the ringleader of a gun-trafficking crew that sold more than 80 guns to an undercover operative.
At the time, Vance called on lawmakers to boost penalties for gun trafficking, noting that current law subjects traffickers to a maximum of only 25 years in prison — regardless of whether they illegally sell 10 guns or 10,000.
"The fact that those who are pumping more than 80 illegal guns into the hands of criminals while operating trafficking rings throughout our state can only be charged with a class B felony is an injustice to everyone that our laws protect," Klein told the Daily News.
The legislation, if approved, would create a new class A-1 felony that gives firearms traffickers who illegally sell 20 or more guns in a year a minimum sentence of 15 years in prison and a maximum sentence of life in prison.
Klein has yet to enlist a sponsor for the bill in the Democrat-controlled Assembly but he is hopeful the measure will be adopted before the Legislature ends its session in June.
Assembly Codes Committee Chairman Joe Lentol (D-Brooklyn) said he’d not seen Klein’s bill but was open to legislation that toughens penalties for gun trafficking.
“It’s something that we’d look at,” Lentol said.
Vance praised Klein for sponsoring the bill.
"It defies logic that in a state with such strong, sensible gun laws, the penalty for selling 10, 100, or 10,000 guns is the same: a minimum of just 5 years in prison," Vance said.
http://www.nydailynews.com/news/poli...icle-1.2623780
Howard Simmons/New York Daily News
New York State Sen. Jeff Klein plans to introduce the bill boosting penalties against gun trafficking “kingpins” as early as Wednesday.
ALBANY — Bronx state Sen. Jeff Klein has answered Manhattan District Attorney Cy Vance, Jr.'s call for legislation cracking down on major gun traffickers.
Klein, leader of the Senate’s influential Independent Democratic Conference, told the Daily News he's introducing legislation as early as Wednesday to boost penalties for so called kingpins of gun trafficking and close off a loophole in New York criminal law that allows them to escape with jail sentences of as little as five years.
The legislation, if approved, would create a new class A-1 felony that gives firearms traffickers who illegally sell 20 or more guns in a year a minimum sentence of 15 years in prison and a maximum sentence of life in prison.
"These necessary protections will ensure that major firearms traffickers, who put all New Yorkers at risk, will face up to a lifetime in prison,” Klein said. "We must be vigilant against the trafficking of illegal firearms throughout our state, and this legislation will do just that."
The legislation comes a week after Vance and city cops busted the ringleader of a gun-trafficking crew that sold more than 80 guns to an undercover operative.
At the time, Vance called on lawmakers to boost penalties for gun trafficking, noting that current law subjects traffickers to a maximum of only 25 years in prison — regardless of whether they illegally sell 10 guns or 10,000.
"The fact that those who are pumping more than 80 illegal guns into the hands of criminals while operating trafficking rings throughout our state can only be charged with a class B felony is an injustice to everyone that our laws protect," Klein told the Daily News.
The legislation, if approved, would create a new class A-1 felony that gives firearms traffickers who illegally sell 20 or more guns in a year a minimum sentence of 15 years in prison and a maximum sentence of life in prison.
Klein has yet to enlist a sponsor for the bill in the Democrat-controlled Assembly but he is hopeful the measure will be adopted before the Legislature ends its session in June.
Assembly Codes Committee Chairman Joe Lentol (D-Brooklyn) said he’d not seen Klein’s bill but was open to legislation that toughens penalties for gun trafficking.
“It’s something that we’d look at,” Lentol said.
Vance praised Klein for sponsoring the bill.
"It defies logic that in a state with such strong, sensible gun laws, the penalty for selling 10, 100, or 10,000 guns is the same: a minimum of just 5 years in prison," Vance said.
http://www.nydailynews.com/news/poli...icle-1.2623780
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