Tip of the week: If you are a convicted felon in posession of a firearm

[Wheezer]

Text

ALEXANDRIA, VA (AP) -- An Arlington man has pleaded guilty to being a felon in possession of a firearm after he posted a video of himself posing with a gun on YouTube.com.

Prosecutors say 37-year-old Benjamin Hornstein admitted in U.S. District Court in Alexandria on Tuesday that he filmed the video in his bedroom.

Arlington County police were tipped off in January and found the pistol seen in the video in a search of his home. Since the gun was manufactured outside Virginia, the incident became a federal crime.

Felons cannot possess weapons and Hornstein was convicted of grand larceny and burglary in 1994.

Hornstein faces up to 10 years in prison and a $250,000 fine at sentencing May 15.

 

[jlee]

:laugh:

 

[Whisper]

I'm perpetually amazed by the types of things people will post on places such as youtube, myspace, and facebook. It's as if they think sites somehow afford them legal invulnerability.

 

[PlasmaBomb]

OWNED.

 

[Jeff7]

Originally posted by: Whisper
I'm perpetually amazed by the types of things people will post on places such as youtube, myspace, and facebook. It's as if they think sites somehow afford them legal invulnerability.

Like I say, it's a good thing that most criminals are stupid.

If more truly intelligent people turned to crime, well, they'd be nearly impossible to catch.
Avoiding capture really isn't that difficult, if you're careful, and you don't get greedy about what it is you do, whether it be robbery or murder.

 

[MegaVovaN]

gg pwnd lolololo roffle
Idiot.

 

[Whisper]

Originally posted by: Jeff7

Originally posted by: Whisper
I'm perpetually amazed by the types of things people will post on places such as youtube, myspace, and facebook. It's as if they think sites somehow afford them legal invulnerability.

Like I say, it's a good thing that most criminals are stupid.

If more truly intelligent people turned to crime, well, they'd be nearly impossible to catch.
Avoiding capture really isn't that difficult, if you're careful, and you don't get greedy about what it is you do, whether it be robbery or murder.

By that same measure, it's amazing how much effort some people will put into crime, or into cheating, when you sit and realize that if they'd put that same amount of effort into a straight-laced endeavor, they'd likely have been even more successful.

 

[jlee]

Originally posted by: Whisper

Originally posted by: Jeff7

Originally posted by: Whisper
I'm perpetually amazed by the types of things people will post on places such as youtube, myspace, and facebook. It's as if they think sites somehow afford them legal invulnerability.

Like I say, it's a good thing that most criminals are stupid.

If more truly intelligent people turned to crime, well, they'd be nearly impossible to catch.
Avoiding capture really isn't that difficult, if you're careful, and you don't get greedy about what it is you do, whether it be robbery or murder.

By that same measure, it's amazing how much effort some people will put into crime, or into cheating, when you sit and realize that if they'd put that same amount of effort into a straight-laced endeavor, they'd likely have been even more successful.

Kinda like the people who work harder to avoid work..

 

[2Xtreme21]

*Cue people coming in saying how it's a breach of the most important civil liberty EVAR for felons to be banned from owning guns*

 

[looker001]

Big mistake in admitting it was filmed in his bedroom. If police could not established it was done in usa, he would have been let go. Guess its a fact, criminals are idiots.

 

[spidey07]

Originally posted by: 2Xtreme21
*Cue people coming in saying how it's a breach of the most important civil liberty EVAR for felons to be banned from owning guns*

You'll find very few people who think that way.

 

[2Xtreme21]

Originally posted by: looker001
Big mistake in admitting it was filmed in his bedroom. If police could not established it was done in usa, he would have been let go. Guess its a fact, criminals are idiots.

Usually felons aren't able to leave the country either. Though it did happen in 1994-- I'm not sure of the rules, but apparently he was still barred from owning guns.

 

[DayLaPaul]

"Since the gun was manufactured outside Virginia, the incident became a federal crime."

WTF? Talk about trumping up charges. Is that all it takes to make something a federal crime these days? What next? Since the suspect was carrying a post card of Virginia, the incident became a federal crime.

 

[AreaCode707]

Originally posted by: DayLaPaul
"Since the gun was manufactured outside Virginia, the incident became a federal crime."

WTF? Talk about trumping up charges. Is that all it takes to make something a federal crime these days? What next? Since the suspect was carrying a post card of Virginia, the incident became a federal crime.

Since the law enforcement officers viewing the video were outside of Virginia...

 

[SampSon]

I never thought of this before, but does the NRA or any other pro-firearm organization make any arguments about the right to bear arms of convicted felons?

 

[FelixDeCat]

It's a breach of the most important civil liberty ever for felons to be banned from owning guns.

 

[jlee]

Originally posted by: DayLaPaul
"Since the gun was manufactured outside Virginia, the incident became a federal crime."

WTF? Talk about trumping up charges. Is that all it takes to make something a federal crime these days? What next? Since the suspect was carrying a post card of Virginia, the incident became a federal crime.

Post card != firearm

FYI

 

[MSP]

Originally posted by: SampSon
I never thought of this before, but does the NRA or any other pro-firearm organization make any arguments about the right to bear arms of convicted felons?

I don't think so. It really flies in the face of common sense and not really in their best interests. Trying to keep the hobby as legal and legitimate as possible, etc.

 

[AreaCode707]

Originally posted by: SampSon
I never thought of this before, but does the NRA or any other pro-firearm organization make any arguments about the right to bear arms of convicted felons?

Not that I've ever heard. I think it's pretty commonly accepted that you lose rights when you're a convicted felon and the right to bear arms is one of them.

 

[SampSon]

Originally posted by: MSP

Originally posted by: SampSon
I never thought of this before, but does the NRA or any other pro-firearm organization make any arguments about the right to bear arms of convicted felons?

I don't think so. It really flies in the face of common sense and not really in their best interests. Trying to keep the hobby as legal and legitimate as possible, etc.

I suppose, but common sense is subjective. I'm not sure most view gun ownership as a hobby.

I was just pondering if any organization has taken any stance on this topic. There are lots of different felony crimes.

 

[spidey07]

Originally posted by: SampSon

I suppose, but common sense is subjective. I'm not sure most view gun ownership as a hobby.

I was just pondering if any organization has taken any stance on this topic. There are lots of different felony crimes.

If one were to be against felons and guns then one would also have to support all the other rights being restored. NRA is generally very "tough on crime" so it would be counter intuitive for them be for felons having guns as they would then be "soft on crime".

HOLY MACKERAL! Possession of a firearm by a felon is a 10 year sentence!

 

[Zebo]

I personally don't agree with the law. A Felon can be for tax evasion what does this have to do with violent crime? Nothing along with lots of other crimes. Besides like a conviction is going to stop a Felon from getting a gun and shooting someone??? Get real. You know all those guys blowing away store clerks on 6 oclock news? All prior Felons. Another law - all symbolism and feel goodism over substance.

 

[MSP]

I bet there has. I mean, gun ownership is #2 in the Constitution after all. I wonder how the founding fathers would feel about restricting someone's constitutional rights FOREVER just based on a single criminal conviction. Particularly a non-violent, non-gun related one. I wonder if there's any recourse for someone who, for example, committed one of these non-violent crimes 20+ years previously and had been an upstanding citizen since? Some sort of redemption potential would be good.

 

[jlee]

Originally posted by: Zebo
I personally don't agree with the law. A Felon can be for tax evasion what does this have to do with violent crime? Nothing along with lots of other crimes. Besides like a conviction is going to stop a Felon from getting a gun and shooting someone??? Get real. You know all those guys blowing away store clerks on 6 oclock news? All prior Felons. Another law - all symbolism and feel goodism over substance.

Sounds like almost every other firearms law on the books..

 

[spidey07]

Originally posted by: MSP
I bet there has. I mean, gun ownership is #2 in the Constitution after all. I wonder how the founding fathers would feel about restricting someone's constitutional rights FOREVER just based on a single criminal conviction. Particularly a non-violent, non-gun related one. I wonder if there's any recourse for someone who, for example, committed one of these non-violent crimes 20+ years previously and had been an upstanding citizen since? Some sort of redemption potential would be good.

There are ways they can get it back, it's a state issue from there I believe. I'm not entirely sure though so take my post with a grain of salt.

 

[Zebo]

Originally posted by: MSP
I bet there has. I mean, gun ownership is #2 in the Constitution after all. I wonder how the founding fathers would feel about restricting someone's constitutional rights FOREVER just based on a single criminal conviction. Particularly a non-violent, non-gun related one. I wonder if there's any recourse for someone who, for example, committed one of these non-violent crimes 20+ years previously and had been an upstanding citizen since? Some sort of redemption potential would be good.

Back then violent felons were hung so it was not an issue for the founders. Most gun rights advocates like NRA compromise to keep their membership up and mainstream. Seems reasonable until you consider the futility and insanity. This man will waste 10 years and $800,000 of tax payer money for really nothing.