Chicago – Attorney General Kwame Raoul charged a DeKalb County man for falsifying training certificates required to obtain a concealed carry license in Illinois.
Raoul charged Brian K. Fleming, 44, in DeKalb County Circuit Court with forgery, a Class 3 felony punishable by up the five years in prison, and unlawful violation of the Concealed Carry Act, a Class A misdemeanor punishable by up to 364 days in county jail. Fleming’s next court date is scheduled for Jan. 8, 2024.
“Preventing gun violence across Illinois includes prosecuting individuals who lie to subvert safety requirements and break state law,” Raoul said. “I will continue to partner with the Illinois State Police and law enforcement agencies across Illinois to keep communities safe by holding such offenders accountable.”
Fleming, an instructor who trains others seeking to obtain concealed carry licenses, allegedly falsified certificates by claiming applicants had completed the legally-required 16 hours of training when they had not. The Illinois State Police (ISP) investigated the case.
"Concealed Carry License training requirements are explicit, not discretionary, and are there for a reason," said ISP Director Brendan F. Kelly. "ISP will not tolerate anyone trying to skirt training requirements and will rigorously investigate any allegations of impropriety."
The public is reminded that the defendant is innocent until proven guilty in a court of law.
Assistant Attorneys General Steven Knight and Peter Ravoori are prosecuting the case for Raoul’s office.
