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Fleet Farm Settles Minnesota Straw-Purchasing Case With $1 Million Penalty and Binding Reforms

The consent judgment mandates training, tracking systems, compliance checks to curb straw purchasing.

Overview

  • Minnesota Attorney General Keith Ellison announced a consent judgment resolving the state's lawsuit accusing Fleet Farm of negligent gun sales to straw buyers.
  • Fleet Farm will pay $1 million within 90 days and must file a sworn declaration within one year detailing policy, training and software updates.
  • Required measures include a specific list of warning signs for employees, cross-store sales tracking software, unannounced compliance tests, and stricter discipline for violations.
  • The agreement adds trace-request monitoring to alert staff when sales link to previously recovered crime guns, and Fleet Farm does not admit fault.
  • The case followed ATF traces tying Fleet Farm sales to crime guns, including a weapon used in the 2021 Truck Park bar shooting, and a separate victims' lawsuit remains pending.