Man Charged With Acquiring Guns For New Hope Shooter
MINNEAPOLIS (WCCO) -- A 42-year-old man has been charged with allegedly acting as a straw purchaser of three firearms for Ray Kmetz, who shot and injured two police officers at the New Hope City Hall before being killed.
On Wednesday, the United States Attorney's Office announced that Michael Ronald Garant is charged with making a false statement to acquire firearms on behalf of another person.
According to the criminal complaint, on Aug. 21, 2014, Kmetz was the highest bidder for three shotguns in an online auction, which were actually purchased by Garant at a Princeton gun shop two days later. Garant told the gun shop owner that he used the name Ray Kmetz during the online auction to hide his true identity and produced his license to show that he was in fact Garant.
After Garant's background check was returned clear, he allegedly answered "yes" on a form that he was the actual transferee/buyer of the firearms. Garant then paid $659.29 cash for the three shotguns.
"Background checks are only as good as the accuracy of the information collected," U.S. Attorney Andrew Luger said. "Honestly answering questions about the intended recipient of a firearm is an important component of responsible gun ownership and key to public safety, which is why it is a crime to act as a straw purchaser. This defendant is charged with committing that very crime – buying guns for another person and lying about it."
On Jan. 26, 2015, Kmetz entered the New Hope City Hall during a city council meeting armed with one of the shotguns Garant purchased and shot one round in the direction of the council chambers. New Hope police officers then responded with gunfire and killed Kmetz.
