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OLYMPIA, Wash. (AP) — A suburban Seattle gun store and its former proprietor can pay $3 million for promoting high-capacity ammunition magazines regardless of a state ban, the Washington legal professional common stated Tuesday.
Lawyer Common Bob Ferguson introduced the settlement with Federal Means Low cost Weapons and Mohammed Baghai after a King County choose discovered final 12 months that the shop and former proprietor had been in violation of Washington’s Client Safety Act.
The shop and Baghai bought hundreds of the magazines that may maintain greater than 10 rounds of ammunition, after the state regulation banning them went into impact in 2022, Ferguson has stated.
Ferguson stated the previous proprietor saved promoting them even after the state filed a lawsuit. The legal professional common described the violations as “egregious and brazen,” The Seattle Occasions reported.
“Federal Means Low cost Weapons selected to violate a crucial regulation geared toward combating mass shootings,” Ferguson stated in an announcement. “Washington companies are following the regulation and stopped promoting high-capacity magazines. This decision gives accountability for somebody who flagrantly violated the regulation.”
An individual who answered the telephone at Federal Means Low cost Weapons declined to remark to The Seattle Occasions. Baghai additionally declined to remark Tuesday when reached by telephone by the newspaper. Because the lawsuit, the shop has been bought to Baghai’s son, Andrew, in line with the legal professional common’s workplace.
The shop’s web site features a hyperlink to a fundraising web page searching for “donations that can assist us to proceed to face up towards Bob Ferguson and his staff’s aggression as they relentlessly go after our 2nd modification rights.”
Since July 2022, it has been unlawful underneath Washington state regulation to fabricate, distribute, promote or supply on the market gun magazines that maintain greater than 10 rounds of ammunition, with restricted exceptions. Supporters of the invoice stated on the time the regulation may cut back the carnage seen in mass shootings as a result of individuals may have the prospect to flee or cease a shooter within the time it takes to reload the weapon.
The store had argued in King County Superior Court docket filings that Baghai didn’t overtly disregard the ban and as a substitute listened to regulation enforcement officers who advised him the ban was unconstitutional and, due to this fact, wouldn’t be enforced.
The Federal Means Low cost Weapons case was the primary lawsuit filed by the legal professional common’s workplace over violations of the regulation. An analogous lawsuit towards Gator’s Customized Weapons, primarily based in Kelso, Washington, is ongoing. Lakewood retailer WGS Weapons was penalized $15,000 for violating the regulation in 2022.
Underneath Tuesday’s consent decree, Federal Means Low cost Weapons and Baghai have agreed to pay $3 million. The legal professional common’s workplace will recoup about $1 million it spent litigating the case, whereas Ferguson stated he anticipated the remaining $2 million will go to native regulation enforcement companies for efforts that cut back gun violence.
The Related Press
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