Wilmington man accused of lying on firearms background check

WILMINGTON, NC (WWAY) — A Wilmington man is accused of lying about his mental health during a background check to buy guns.

A grand jury indicted Hasan Eminof, 20, on two counts of Making False Statements to a Federal Firearm Licensee and one count of Possession of a Firearm by a Person Adjudicated Mentally Defective or Committed to a Mental Institution.

The indictment alleges that on June 8, 2016, Eminof made a false and fictitious written statement on an ATF background check form to Backwater Guns in Wilmington.

Specifically, the defendant represented himself to have not been adjudicated mentally defective and not to have been committed to a mental institution, when in fact as the defendant knew, he had been.

On July 21, 2016, Eminof attempted to purchase a firearm from Bullzeye Shooting, also in Wilmington, by again representing himself to have not been adjudicated mentally defective and not to have been committed to a mental institution.

The indictment further alleges that on March 4, Eminof, having been adjudicated a mental defective and having been committed to a mental institution, knowingly and unlawfully possessed firearms.

If convicted of these charges, Eminof would face a maximum of ten years in prison and three years of supervised release following any term of imprisonment.

The case is being investigated by the Federal Bureau of Investigation and the New Hanover County Sheriff’s Office. Assistant United States Attorney Jake D. Pugh is prosecuting the case for the government.