New York Gun Grabbing Law Yields First Arrest

The first poor soul unfortunate enough to be snared in the enforcement dragnet of New York’s unConstitutional gun control law faces Class D felony charges for selling what are now “illegal” weapons.

Benjamin Wassell of Silver Creek, N.Y., was arrested after he allegedly sold two semi-automatic rifles and 300 rounds of ammunition to an undercover officer in January and again the following month.

One of the rifles, a DelTon DTI-15, was equipped with a pistol grip and bayonet mount, making it an illegal “assault weapon” under the new law.

According to The Associated Press, the undercover officer playing the buyer’s role had confessed to Wassell before the transaction that he had a felony on his record. Felons aren’t allowed to own firearms under Federal law.

If he’s found guilty, Wassell could spend up to seven years in prison. WBNG quoted a triumphant State police superintendent Joseph D’Amico, who claimed the arrest serves as an example of how New York’s draconian gun laws are already making its residents safer:

The defendant is accused of illegally selling assault weapons not once, but twice. Add to that, he was willing to sell to someone without knowing anything about their background, and it’s exactly the type of dangerous and illegal activity that can lead to more gun violence in our communities. Once again, our partnership with the Attorney General’s office has resulted in taking a dangerous criminal off the streets.

Democratic New York Governor Andrew Cuomo led the rush to sign the State’s “NY SAFE” Act into law in January, weeks after a mass killing in neighboring Connecticut brought the topic to the top of the nationwide liberal agenda.

Among many other restrictions, the law bans high-capacity magazines, creates a registry for pre-existing owners of assault weapons, requires psychiatrists to report patients whom they feel to be a threat and increases sentences for crimes in which a gun is used.