Federal authorities question tactics of Illinois gun sting

SPRINGFIELD, Ill. -- Worried about illegal gun sales, Attorney General Jim Ryan last year sent his staff surfing the Internet for criminals.

The results of what his staff calls a first-in-the-nation investigation: Six weapons purchased, a single conviction but no one going to jail, problems with his investigator's tactics and criticism from federal authorities.

Ryan's chief lawyer admitted the office dropped four of the cases because of fears that the attorney general's investigator improperly lured sellers into illegal actions.

And the federal Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco and Firearms criticized the lone conviction Ryan obtained, against a Michigan man who sold a submachine gun. Ryan's office did not cooperate with the ATF to build a stronger case against the seller or force him to help go after other dealers, said Agent David Chipman.

None of this has discouraged Ryan, and his office calls the investigation a success that produced a change in state law.

The Republican candidate for governor last week held a news conference with U.S. House Speaker Dennis Hastert to announce an $800,000 federal grant to combat illegal gun sales, including Internet sales.

Ryan is no stranger to investigating Internet crimes. He has made headlines fighting online abuses from consumer fraud to child pornography.

It's not clear what he expected to accomplish with the gun probe. His aides have said it was meant to nab crooks. They also have said it was to gather information because they knew that no state law applied.

In early 2000, Ryan's office spent $5,200 to buy six weapons on the Web. Most were chosen from an online trading post where gun enthusiasts can legally arrange to sell and trade weapons.

Ryan's staff was able to buy the weapons without the required transfer through gun dealers with federal firearms licenses, or FFLs. But to do that, the investigators had to tell the sellers -- falsely -- that the transactions were perfectly legal.

State law prohibits convicting people who are "incited or induced" into criminal activity. Police may encourage someone who is ready to commit a crime, but not lie about whether it's legal, said Paul Robinson, a Northwestern University law professor.