Seller exploits gun-buyback loophole with help of 3D printer

ALBANY, N.Y. — New York’s attorney general has changed the rules of a state gun buyback program after a participant exploited the system by using a 3D printer to make firearm parts in bulk that he then turned in for $21,000 in gift cards. Under the rules of the buyback, hosted by Attorney General Letitia James’ office and city police, that entitled him to $350 for each of the printed parts, including a $100 premium, since they were deemed “ghost guns” lacking serial numbers. He called the idea of buybacks “ridiculously stupid,” adding that “the people running this event are horribly uneducated about guns, gun crime, and the laws surrounding the regulation of guns.” James’ office said it responded to the exploited loophole by giving buyback personnel more discretion to determine the value of weapons being handed in, and setting a standard that all 3D-printed guns accepted by the program must be capable of being fired more than once. “It’s shameful that this individual exploited a program that has successfully taken thousands of guns off the streets to protect our communities from gun violence,” James’ office said in a statement. “We have partnered with local police throughout the state to recover more than 3,500 guns, and one individual’s greedy behavior won’t deter us from fighting for public safety for all New Yorkers,” her office said.