Former Pittsburgh gun store owner gets 30 months on weapons charges

By Chris Eger

Erik Lowry, 38, pleaded guilty last June to selling guns through his shop, Pittsburgh Tactical Firearms, without the proper paperwork and illegal possession of a destructive device. (Photo: KRMG)
A one-time western Pennsylvania gun shop owner was sentenced in federal court this week over improper records on numerous transactions and mishandling an unregistered National Firearms Act item.
Erik David Lowry, owner of the now-defunct Pittsburgh Tactical Firearms in McKeesport, was sentenced to 30 months in prison and assessed a $30,000 fine for felony witness and evidence tampering and owning a shotgun classified under the NFA as a destructive device without supporting documentation.
According to court documents, from early 2014 until January 2017, the store sold and delivered over 100 firearms without completing any of the required federal paperwork for such sales. In a statement from the U.S. attorney’s office, these weapons were described by Lowry as “cash and carry,” “cash out the door,” or “turn and burn” firearms “off books” with officials cataloging 27 guns so classified on the store’s racks during one visit alone.
Investigators found the store had sold guns without a background check including one to a prohibited possessor with a prior mental health commitment, and another to a buyer who

Source: Guns.com