Walmart, the retail giant, has agreed to pay a fine of $500,000 over allegations that it sold illegal brass knuckles on its website, according to California’s Attorney General Rob Bonta. The case was brought to light by the Merced County district attorney’s office in 2018, which found that Walmart was not only offering the prohibited weapons for sale, but was also allowing third parties to do so on its website. Brass knuckles are banned in California and many other states, and offenders can face up to a year in prison.
Walmart has denied any wrongdoing, but it has agreed to settle the case with the Department of Justice and district attorneys’ office of three Californian counties, Ventura, Merced, and Yolo. The settlement includes a fine of $500,000 and a clause that prohibits Walmart from selling brass knuckles and other illegal weapons on its website or allowing third-party vendors to do so. Additionally, Walmart will notify customers who have bought the weapons that they have done so illegally.
The investigation found that around 250 brass knuckles products were available on Walmart’s website, with 60% sold directly by the retail giant and the remaining 40% sold by third-party vendors. The third-party vendors have also been barred from selling the products. The settlement is designed to be a reminder that online platforms are not immune to the law if they allow sales of illegal goods by third parties.
Walmart has stated that it settled the case to allow “all parties” to benefit, although it maintains its compliance with California law. Walmart is a major seller of weapons in the United States, and since 2015 has taken steps to curb their sale.
The sale of illegal weapons is taken seriously in California and other states, particularly as they are associated with violent crime. Walmart’s settlement is a message to other retailers that they must take care to monitor their websites and ensure that they are not facilitating the sale of illegal and dangerous products.
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