Knox County concealed carry instructors indicted for teaching short classes; Dozens of licenses suspended

The Columbus Dispatch reported last week that a Knox County grand jury has indicted two former NRA-certified instructors on a combined 50 felony counts, accused of falsifying certificates of completion for the concealed handgun license courses.

From the article:

Robert Hess, 55,of Loudonville, was indicted on 38 counts of forgery, and John Fisher, 36,of Cardington, was indicted on 12 counts. All counts are fifth-degree felonies.

Hess and Fisher are accused of falsifying documents that their classes had met the minimum hourly requirements, outlined by state law, for the National Rifle Association Basic Pistol Course, which teaches gun-safety techniques.

Completion of the course is a primary step to obtaining a concealed-carry permit in the state of Ohio. Six hours of lessons are required before an additional two hours of hands-on training at a firing range is required.

“Their classes were just way short on hours,” Knox County Sheriff Dave Shaffer is quoted as saying. “Some of them did zero range time.”

Hess and Fisher also reportedly taught classes in several other counties, and the sheriff's offices in those counties are following up with separate investigations into those courses.

According to the article, Knox County doesn’t plan to pursue forgery charges against those who took the courses with Hess and Fisher, as they are not considered complicit. There are about 50 people, however, who will need to retake courses if they still want a concealed-carry permit.

While these students are not being charged, be advised - if you apply for a CHL using an invalid training certificate, you could face criminal charges. Penalties could include suspension/revocation of your CHL, fines, jail, and a lifetime ban on possessing firearms.

Sheriff Shaffer told the Dispatch the two cases of misconduct are atypical, with the majority of CCW instructors adhering to course requirements.

Again from the article:

Sean Maloney, legislative director at the Buckeye Firearms Association, agreed with the prosecutor that this kind of falsification is rare. As a lawyer and NRA instructor, he said he supports prosecution in instances of certificate falsification.

“When somebody is out there, making fake and selling certificates for just money and not providing training, they should be prosecuted to the fullest extent of the law,” Maloney said.

As Buckeye Firearms Association President Jim Irvine has written, "There are many laws that Buckeye Firearms Association is working to change, but it is critical that we follow the laws that are on the books. It does not matter if we like or dislike a law. It does not matter if we think it's a good or a bad law. All that matters is that it is a law, and we follow it. When something like this happens, it paints all CHL holders, and all gun owners, in a bad light. It is unfortunate that the acts of a few people can damage such a large segment of society, but that is the political reality of such reckless behavior."

Chad D. Baus is the Buckeye Firearms Association Secretary, BFA PAC Vice Chairman, and an NRA-certified firearms instructor. He is the editor of BuckeyeFirearms.org, which received the Outdoor Writers of Ohio 2013 Supporting Member Award for Best Website.

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