Washington, D.C., Maryland Sue Gun Shops for Weapons Trafficking

Three Montgomery County, Md., gun stores illegally sold dozens of weapons to a straw purchaser who then trafficked them into Washington, D.C., according to a lawsuit filed Tuesday by Maryland and the district.

Engage Armament LLC, United Gun Shop, and Atlantic Guns Inc., allegedly ignored warning signs that Maryland resident Demetrius Minor bought dozens of firearms with the intent of transferring them to individuals not legally entitled to possess them, Attorney General Brian L. Schwalb (D) and Maryland Attorney General Anthony G. Brown (D), said in the lawsuit obtained by Bloomberg Law.

A straw sale occurs when a federal firearms dealer sells a weapon to a buyer who’s in fact purchasing a gun for a third party prohibited from legally purchasing a gun on their own, according to the lawsuit.

This lawsuit seeks to force the three stores to stop engaging in illegal straw sales, as well as monetary damages for harm inflicted on Washington residents.

Minor was prosecuted in Washington on federal gun trafficking charges in December 2022. The three Maryland stores have “faced no consequences” for their role in fueling gun violence, the complaint filed in Maryland state court says.

The stores are obligated to prevent illegal purchasing, and are aware of common indicators, such as bulk purchases and repetitive purchases within a short time period. But they allowed Minor to repeatedly purchase firearms, including many duplicate or near-duplicate easily concealable pistols, between April and October 2021, according to the lawsuit.

At least nine weapons Minor purchased have been recovered at crime scenes in Washington and the surrounding Maryland suburbs, the lawsuit says.

Maryland is represented by Everytown Law. Everytown for Gun Safety advocates for universal background checks and other gun control measures. Bloomberg Law is operated by entities controlled by Michael Bloomberg, who serves as a member of Everytown for Gun Safety’s advisory board.

Washington is represented by Perkins Coie LLP.

The case is The Dist. of Columbia v. Engage Armament LLC, Md. Cir. Ct., docket number not available, complaint filed 9/3/24.