Lake Co. Sheriff revokes 170 concealed handgun licenses; Classes didn't include range time

Recently, the News-Herald of Willoughby, Ohio reported that more than concealed carry licenses in Lake County have been invalidated after an instructor allegedly did not teach the required classes.

From the article:

The Lake County Sheriff’s Office was informed that a concealed carry instructor, who was properly licensed, had been offering what he called “fast track classes,” said Lake County Sheriff’s Office Capt. Ron Walters.

“He wasn’t even sending them to the range,” Walters said.

The Sheriff’s Office investigated the instructor’s activities during the last two years and learned that he handed out more than 170 completion certificates, which the students then used to obtain a concealed carry license, Walters said.

The instructor, whose name is not being released as he has not yet been charged, instructed residents across the county, often making house calls and handing out completion certificates. These certificates were then used to obtain CCW licenses, Walters said.

All of the students have been contacted, told that their licenses are invalid and instructed to retake the training courses.

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The Lake County Sheriff’s Office handed over the results of its investigation to the Lake County Prosecutor’s Office, which will determine if charges will be filed against the instructor. The prosecutor’s office also will determine if any of the students committed wrongdoing and knowingly sought out a class that did not provide the required education and training.

The instructor has had his instructor status suspended, Walters said.

Instructors and students be advised - Ohio law requires concealed handgun license classes to be 8 hours in length, and sheriffs are watching. If you take a class that fails to meet the required 6 hours of classroom instruction and 2 hours of range instruction that includes live firearms training, your certificate is not valid for purposes of obtaining an Ohio CHL. Further, 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.

Ohio has a more extensive training requirement than many other states, and it is clear from these unfortunate incidents and others like them in the past, that there is demand for a class that is not so time-intensive. However, as my friend and colleague Jim Irvine writes, "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."

Buckeye Firearms Association thanks the more than 99% of all NRA/OPOTA instructors who do a good job, and the more than 99% of all CHL holders who follow the law.

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.