California AG settles with Walmart in connection with this illegal weapon’s online sales

Maggie Angst
·2 min read
8

California Attorney General Rob Bonta on Tuesday announced a settlement with Walmart over allegations that the retail giant illegally sold brass knuckles to Californians.

California law classifies brass knuckles as a deadly weapon. Anyone caught trying to sell them could face up to a year in prison.

Yet, Walmart and third-party sellers allegedly sold approximately 250 brass knuckle products through the retailer’s website, according to the complaint filed in Merced County.

“With this settlement, we’re making it clear that we won’t sit idly by while a company — no matter how large, and Walmart is huge — allows Californians to be armed with illegal weapons,” Bonta said during a news conference in Sacramento.

Walmart spokesperson Marci Burks said the company was “committed to being the most trusted retailer.”

“While we believe our policies and procedures comply with California law and admit no liability or wrongdoing, we believe this agreement is in the best interest of all parties,” Burks wrote in an email.

As part of the settlement, Walmart will pay California $500,000. It is also required to prevent the sale of illegal weapons on its website and provide a mechanism for which customers could report any illegal sales or offerings, Bonta said.

The settlement stems from a joint investigation that began in 2018 between the California Department of Justice and district attorneys in Merced, Ventura and Yolo counties.

California consumers who purchased unlawful weapons from Walmart should receive a notice informing them of the potentially illegal sale and advising them to contact law enforcement to properly surrender the objects. Walmart will be required to provide California officials with compliance reports for the settlement requirements.

“We want the public to know that the illegal sale of these weapons will not be tolerated,” said Merced County District Attorney Nicole Silveira. “We are confident that the settlement with Walmart, in this case, will put an end to the future sales of these weapons.”