Department of Justice

A North Canton man was indicted for lying about numerous previous domestic violence convictions while purchasing firearms and for illegally having firearms after being convicted of domestic violence.

Bruce Kraemer, 60, was charged with two counts of making false statements during the purchase of a firearm and two counts of being a prohibited person in possession of firearms.

Kraemer, twice in 2018, made false statements while purchasing firearms from Fin, Feather and Fur in Canton. The statements were intended to deceive the store about the lawfulness of Kraemer purchasing firearms. He provided a false address and indicated he had not been convicted of the misdemeanor crime of domestic violence when, in fact, he had been convicted of domestic violence, according to the indictment.

Kraemer possessed a Stoeger 12-gauge shotgun and a Taurus 9 mm pistol on December 8, 2018, despite three previous convictions for domestic violence, according to the indictment.

Kraemer possessed a Ruger .380-caliber pistol on February 24, 2018, despite three previous convictions for domestic violence, according to the indictment.

“People who hurt their spouses or partners are not allowed to have a firearm, and we are committed to prosecuting those abusers who ignore the law,” U.S. Attorney Justin Herdman said.

If convicted, the defendant’s sentence will be determined by the Court after review of factors unique to this case, including the defendant’s prior criminal records, if any, the defendant’s role in the offense and the characteristics of the violation.  In all cases, the sentence will not exceed the statutory maximum and in most cases it will be less than the maximum.

The investigation preceding the indictment was conducted by ATF.  The case is being prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney Peter E. Daly.

An indictment is only a charge and is not evidence of guilt.  A defendant is entitled to a fair trial in which it will be the government’s burden to prove guilt beyond a reasonable doubt.

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