Saratoga County Man Sentenced for Lying During Attempt to Buy a Gun

ALBANY, NEW YORK – Michael Bramer, Jr., age 32, of Saratoga County, New York, was sentenced yesterday to time served (42 days in jail) and 3 years of supervised release for knowingly making a false statement to a licensed dealer in connection with the attempted acquisition of a firearm.

The announcement was made by United States Attorney Grant C. Jaquith and Ashan M. Benedict, Special Agent in Charge of the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives (ATF), New York Field Division.

A jury convicted Bramer following a 2-day trial in August 2018.  Evidence presented during the trial established that on October 24, 2016, Bramer lied on a Federal Firearm Transaction Record – also known as an ATF Form 4473 – in connection with his attempt to buy a Savage .243 Axis rifle. 

When asked on the ATF Form 4473 whether he was “subject to a court order restraining you from harassing, stalking, or threatening . . . an intimate partner?” Bramer responded “No.”  The jury found that Bramer knew he was subject to such a court order when, 11 days earlier, on October 13, 2016, he appeared in Malta Town Court and was issued a Temporary Order of Protection, ordering him to refrain from assaulting, harassing, stalking, threatening and committing any criminal offense against an intimate partner, which was signed by both Bramer and the judge. 

At sentencing, Senior United States District Judge Gary L. Sharpe found that Bramer demonstrated that he intended to purchase the firearm solely for lawful sporting purposes.

This case was investigated by the ATF and prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney Alicia Giglio Suarez.