Anti Gun Pastor CAUGHT Breaking Gun Laws

 Anti Gun Pastor CAUGHT Breaking Gun Laws

Reverend Jeremy Lucas, of the Christ Church Episcopal Parish in Portland, Oregon, thinks he’s saving the world, one raffle ticket at a time, while a gun rights organization is calling for an official investigation into the Reverend’s blatant lawlessness.



Rev. Lucas has been the subject of a recent story where he used $3000 of discretionary church funds to purchase 150 raffle tickets for an AR15, the proceeds of which go to a girls softball team to pay for their travel costs to a tournament in California. But he didn’t want his very own version of America’s most popular rifle. Instead, he purchased the raffle tickets to help the softball team, and in the event of his winning the rifle, his plan was to destroy it, telling the Washington Post “One less gun in the world is one less gun that can hurt people.”



He had 150 of the 499 raffle tickets, giving him a 30% chance of winning. Low and behold, he ended up winning.



They met with a representative from the softball organization at a local gun shop to initiate the transfer. This is where the legal waters start to turn into mud for Reverend Lucas.



Since church funds were used, is the rifle being transferred to an individual or to an organization? Since firearm purchases and transfers at Federally licensed gun dealers have to go through background checks, how do they do a background check on a church?



Reverend Lucas decided that the transfer would be under his own name. This is where he encounters the next legal hot water.



The mandatory background check form that is used for firearm transfers is the ATF Form 4473. Among other things, it asks for basic personal information, and includes a list of questions, such as asking the transferee if they are a felon, fugitive, user of illegal drugs, and so forth. Question 11a specifically asks “Are you the actual transferee/buyer of the firearm(s) listed on this form? Warning: You are not the actual buyer if you are acquiring the firearm(s) on behalf of another person. If you are not the actual buyer, the dealer cannot transfer the firearm(s) to you.” Since Reverend Lucas has stated that he has no intention of keeping the rifle, then by being honest and checking the “NO” box, the transfer cannot proceed, since it is illegal to act as a straw purchaser. If he checks the “YES” box, then he is intentionally lying on his background check form, which is a Federal crime.



According to the anti gun website smartgunlaws.com



“Federal law prohibits straw purchases by criminalizing the making of false statements to an FFL about a material fact on ATF Form 4473, or presenting false identification in connection with the firearm purchase. Two federal statutes – 18 U.S.C. § 922(a)(6) and 18 U.S.C. § 924(a)(1)(A) – are the primary laws under which straw purchases are prosecuted.



First, 18 U.S.C. § 922(a)(6) prohibits any person:



In connection with the acquisition or attempted acquisition of any firearm or ammunition from a licensed importer, licensed manufacturer, licensed dealer, or licensed collector, knowingly to make any false or fictitious oral or written statement or to furnish or exhibit any false, fictitious, or misrepresented identification, intended or likely to deceive such importer, manufacturer, dealer, or collector with respect to any fact material to the lawfulness of the sale or other disposition of such firearm or ammunition.



Subject to limited exceptions, 18 U.S.C. § 924(a)(1)(A) imposes criminal penalties, such as fines and imprisonment, upon any person who:



Knowingly makes any false statement or representation with respect to the information required by [federal firearms law] to be kept in the records of a person licensed under [federal firearms law] or in applying for any license or exemption or relief from disability under the provisions of [federal firearms law].



These false statements or representations are punishable by a fine of up to $250,000 and up to 10 years in prison.”


Additionally, a gun dealer can also be charged with a federal crime if they knowingly transfer a firearm to someone who is not the “actual transferee/buyer.”


Regardless, Rev. Lucas was able to take possession of the rifle after about 30 minutes, telling the Washington Post “I was pretty surprised at how easy it was to get this transfer made. How quick it was to walk in and out of a gun shop with an AR-15.”


Yes, he’s surprised that someone with no criminal history is actually able to purchase a gun with little problem.


What he did next, though, was possibly the most blatant violation of the law.


As of last year, Oregon requires background checks on all transfers of guns, including private sales. Lucas drove to the home another parishioner, “a responsible gun owner” as Lucas described, where he dropped the AR15 off at, so that it could be locked up until they figured out how to destroy it. One option is to donate it to something called “Guns In The Hands Of Artists”, which turns guns into art.


This is what has the Oregon Firearms Federation up in arms.


On the OFF facebook page, they posted:

“For Immediate Release.



According to the Washington Post, Reverend Jeremy Lucas violated SB 941. The Oregon Firearms Federation is calling for an immediate investigation and prosecution of Lucas and others.


In the linked story, Lucas, who won a rifle raffle using his congregation’s money, claims he "drove it to the home of a parishioner... who offered to keep the rifle locked up in a gun safe until the pastor is ready to destroy it.”


If the story is accurate, Lucas is in clear violation of the requirements of SB 941.


Unless the “parishioner” is a close family member of Lucas, this represents an illegal transfer under the Prozanski/Hoyle SB 941.


Thousands of Oregonians have been negatively affected by this dangerous legislation. An anti-Second Amendment crusader should not be allowed to flagrantly violate the law.


Oregon Firearms Federation is calling for an immediate investigation into the whereabouts of this rifle, the name and address of the person who is in possession of it, and full prosecution of any guilty parties.


The law is the law. We expect it to be enforced.”


Whether or not Reverend Jeremy Lucas will face an legal repercussions for possible violations of multiple state and federal laws remains to be seen, but seeing as how it is in ultra liberal Multnomah County in Oregon, I would bet on him getting a free pass from the anti gun left. But if anyone else did this, you can be assured that they’d be brought up on multiple charges, tossed in jail, and be declared a violent madman by local media.


“This is a very small, symbolic step,” Lucas said, “but sometimes you have to do what you can do, with what you have, where you are.”