Tennessee man accused of forging Obama’s name to obtain gun permit: Reports

Gun-related laws vary across the nation and typically require a thorough background check before a permit to carry firearms can be granted.

One Tennessee man who had his permit request denied has since been arrested for allegedly hatching a unique plan to circumvent the application process by impersonating former President Barack Obama.

Hefty penalties and fines possible

According to Fox News, 51-year-old Robert Joseph Hallick of Chatanooga had his handgun carry permit application rejected for mental health reasons when he filled it out using his own name in November. Reports also indicate he was the subject of an active arrest warrant that would have prevented him from being approved for any firearm permit.

As his next move, police say he signed Obama’s name on a different permit in apparent hopes of fraudulently obtaining the desired permit.

Hallick was subsequently arrested and charged with criminal counts including perjury, forgery, and identity theft. As of the latest reports available, he remained behind bars at a Hamilton County jail.

Each of the charges against him carries a penalty of between one and two years in jail along with significant fines upon conviction.

Of course, this is not the first time Hallick has been accused of attempting to impersonate the 44th president. He reportedly used Obama’s name instead of his own in social media posts dating back to 2019.

Gun sales and permit requests spike

Forging another person’s name on a gun permit, however, is a much more serious issue.

The Chatanooga Police Department did not immediately issue a statement on the arrest.

As for the industry in general, gun sales and background checks spiked in January as President Joe Biden took office on promises to institute new, stricter gun control measures nationwide.

The surge dates back to March when the COVID-19 pandemic began to intensify and has continued, likely in response to widespread protests, efforts to defund police, and concerns about new policies that could be instituted under a different administration.

According to FBI statistics, there were 4.3 million background checks performed last month — an increase of 60% compared to the previous January. It marked the single highest month for gun sales since records were first compiled more than 20 years ago.

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