Walmart fined for shipping realistic toy guns to New York, state's attorney general says
BENTONVILLE, Ark. (KNWA/KFTA) – Walmart has been fined after the New York attorney general said third-party sellers sold realistic-looking toy guns to New Yorkers.
New York Attorney General Letitia James announced on Tuesday that her office reached a settlement with Walmart after the retailer had facilitated the shipment of nine realistic-looking guns to addresses in New York. The settlement included a fine totaling $16,000.
As explained in a release from James' office, New York state law prohibits retailers from "selling or shipping toy guns that are black, dark blue, silver, or aluminum-colored and look like a real gun."
"Realistic-looking toy guns can put communities in serious danger and that is why they are banned in New York," James said.
"The ban on realistic-looking toy guns is meant to keep New Yorkers safe and my office will not hesitate to hold any business that violates that law accountable," she added.
Toy guns sold in the state must be "made in bright colors or made entirely of transparent or translucent materials," with businesses subject to a fine of $1,000 per violation, according to James’ office.
An investigation by James' office also determined that consumers in New York state were able to purchase at least 46 imitation weapons which violated New York's law between March 2020 and November 2023 via the Walmart.com platform.
As part of its settlement with the AG's office, Walmart is now required to ensure that its third-party sellers can no longer sell toy guns that violate the state's rules in New York.
"We are committed to complying with all laws, and we have processes in place to ensure products offered for sale by third-party sellers on our marketplace comply with all applicable laws as well," a spokesperson for Walmart said in a statement to Nexstar's KNWA.
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