A New York man who identified himself only as "Kem" used a 3-D printer to make over 100 lower receivers and frames to cash in at a state gun buyback program.
"I'm sure handing over $21,000 in gift cards to some punk kid after getting a bunch of plastic junk was a rousing success," laughed Kem. "Gun buybacks are a fantastic way of showing, number one, that your policies don't work, and, number 2, you're creating perverse demand. You're causing people to show up to these events, and, they don't actually reduce crime whatsoever."
Kem reportedly printed his “turn-ins” on a $200 3D printer he got for Christmas.
"I 3D-printed a bunch of lower receivers and frames for different kinds of firearms," Kem told WKTV.
He then claims to have arrived at a gun buyback event the Attorney General's Office held at the Utica Police Department in August where he met officials.
"And he sees the tote and says, 'how many firearms do you have?' And I said, '110,'" said Kem.
"And it ended with the guy and a lady from the budget office finally coming around with the 42 gift cards and counting them in front of me," said Kem. "$21,000 in $500 gift cards."
A few weeks ago, NEWSChannel 2 contacted the state Attorney General's Office, asking if they knew this might be happening. They didn't answer the question, responding only that the Utica gun buyback was a big success and that the program, in general, keeps New York families safe.
Related: Documents: USPS Has Been Spying On Gun Rights Supporters and Conservatives
Later, the station did receive comment.
A statement sent from a spokesperson at the Attorney General's Office on Wednesday said:
“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. We have partnered with local police throughout the state to recover more than 3,500 guns, and one individual’s greedy behavior won’t tarnish our work to promote public safety. We have adjusted our policies to ensure that no one can exploit this program again for personal gain.”
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