An 'outstanding example': Attorney General say arrest is proof gun laws are working
Attorney General Peter F. Neronha is trumpeting the apprehension of a Woonsocket man as a victory for investigators and the state's gun-control laws.
The 30-year-old man has been accused of lying on an application to buy a handgun in Glocester, according to a news release from Neronha's office.
“As alleged," Neronha said, "this case is an outstanding example of our gun laws and our investigators working as intended to protect Rhode Islanders.”
At the time of the attempted Nov. 11 transaction, the man was subject to a court-issued restraining order that disqualified him from possessing a gun. But on the gun-purchase application, he claimed not to be under any such restriction, which was a lie, prosecutors say.
In August 2023, a judge in Superior Court, Providence, issued a no-contact order barring him from any contact with the person he was accused of assaulting in 2022.
Arrested by Woonsocket police
The 2022 incident led to Woonsocket police charging him with domestic breaking and entering, domestic simple assault and domestic disorderly conduct.
Trying to buy a Sig Sauer semi-automatic
He was trying to buy a Sig Sauer P365 semi-automatic handgun from Big Bear Hunting & Fishing, prosecutors say.
The purchase was foiled when a background check flagged him as prohibited from possessing a firearm.
An investigation ensued and the man was arrested Wednesday.
Neronha thanked the investigators who worked on the case.
“Ensuring that those who are charged with violent crimes, including and especially those of a domestic nature, don’t obtain guns is critical to keeping our communities safe from gun violence," he said.
This article originally appeared on The Providence Journal: Do gun laws work? RI Attorney General says this case proves success
