Bryan v. United States
United States Supreme Court
524 U.S. 184 (1998)
Relevant factsFree
Bryan (defendant) had associates buy firearms for him in Ohio, brought them to New York, filed off the serial numbers, and sold them, and was convicted of "willfully" dealing firearms without a license in violation of federal firearms statutes. Bryan argued he could not be convicted of "willfully" violating the statute because he didn't know about the specific federal licensing requirement for firearms dealers, and sought Supreme Court review of his conviction on that basis.
IssueFree
Whether an individual can be convicted of "willfully" violating a federal firearms statute without proof he specifically knew about the federal licensing requirement contained in that statute.