LARAMIE — Lying on a background check forms for firearms purchases is stupid and nearly impossible to get away with, some Wyoming gun dealers said Tuesday after Hunter Biden, son of President Joe Biden, was convicted on federal charges of doing just that.
“They (the purchasers) check the boxes” on the form, and any attempted fibbing is likely to be caught right away when the dealer calls the FBI to verify the answers, Dave Smith, owner of Dave’s Guns in Laramie, told Cowboy State Daily.
As Smith and his store manager, Leo Perez, minded their shop Tuesday, a television on the wall was playing news footage of President Biden speaking at a rally for gun control advocates. That, even as news was breaking that his son had been convicted of falsely answering that he wasn’t addicted to illegal drugs on a background check form.
For their part, federally-licensed gun dealers are picky about how the forms are filled out, Smith said.
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“We try to follow everything to the exact letter of the federal law,” Smith said.
Scott Weber, owner of Gunrunner Firearms & Auctions in Cody and Ohio, told Cowboy State Daily no shenanigans are allowed when it comes to people filling out the forms in his shops.
“We watch the person fill out the form. You can’t say, ‘My reading glasses are in the truck, let me go fill this out in my truck,’” Weber said. “No. They start with a clean form, in front of us. And if they make any mistakes, they have to start over again.”
The Case Against Hunter Biden
A federal jury in Delaware convicted Hunter Biden of three felony charges related to his purchase and brief possession of a revolver that he bought from a Delaware gun shop in October 2018.
The first two charges stemmed from him lying on a background check form by checking question-response boxes on the form indicating that he was not using or addicted to illegal drugs. The third charge was for illegally possessing the gun while using or addicted to illicit drugs.
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The maximum penalties for those charges could include 25 years in prison and $750,000 in fines. However, as a first-time offender, Hunter Biden might get a lighter sentence.
A judge is expected to schedule a sentencing hearing in the case within the next 120 days.
Weber said he “wrote a lengthy memo” to his employees Tuesday highlighting Hunter Biden’s conviction an as example of why Form 4473, the background check form, is vital and so important to get right.
“I’ve been riveted to this case, because it applies directly to what we do every day,” he said.
Most Lies Caught Right Away
According to federal law, background check forms must be filled out for all firearms purchases from federally licensed gun dealers. It involves the buyer checking a series of “yes” or “no” boxes related to questions such as whether they’ve ever been convicted of a felony, renounced their American citizenship or are a fugitive from justice.
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Some find it humorous to be asked “are you a fugitive from justice?”
“People might laugh about that one. But if you are, and you say no, and then you’re caught later, they have that form and they can use that form against you, just like they did with Biden,” Weber said.
One the purchaser completes and signs the form, the dealer sends the information to the FBI and the response is usually quick, sometimes almost instant.
The dealer will get one of three responses, Weber said.
“Proceed” means it’s all clear and the dealer can proceed with completing the sale and handing the gun over to the buyer.
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“Delay” means there might be a waiting period of three to five days before the purchase can be cleared or denied.
And “deny” means just that, there can be no legal sale.
If that happens, then the seller’s neck is on the line if he or she decides to proceed with trying to buy a firearm.
‘Deny’
Weber and Smith say when they get “deny” responses from the FBI, they tell the buyer right away and refuse to proceed any further with the sale.
Smith said the FBI doesn’t offer any detailed explanation for a denial, but when a sale is denied, all he can do is tell the customer that they can appeal the rejection to the federal authorities if they wish, because the matter is out of his hands at that point.
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Most “deny” messages come right away.
Weber said he’s not sure how Hunter Biden’s lie slipped through, and the gun dealer in that case was sent a “proceed” message. It might have been because there weren’t yet any records in the FBI data base related the Biden’s drug use and addiction.
But even those who might temporarily fool the system shouldn’t assume they got away clean. A lie will eventually be found out one way or another, he said.
There are extremely rare instances in which the FBI will give a “proceed” response after an initial delay, but then change that to “deny” after the customer has already picked up the gun.
“I’ve had that happen to me,” he said. “They’ll ask you, ‘Would you like to retrieve the gun, or would you like us to send and agent to retrieve it?’”
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Weber said he’s OK with calling customers and see if they’re willing to return a firearm to the store themselves, but leaves door-knock recoveries up to federal agents.
Regulations Are Complex
Weber and Smith said that when a customer is denied on a background check, they keep the forms on file, just in case federal agents or prosecutors request those records later.
So far, none have, they said.
Smith said another layer of complication comes with the variation on gun regulations between states, Smith said. In Laramie, he gets his fair share of customers from Colorado, but typically won’t give firearms directly to residents of the Centennial State.
That’s because some firearms that are legal to sell in Wyoming aren’t legal in Colorado jurisdictions. Boulder has a ban on AR-15s and the like, for example.
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Instead, Smith will offer to ship a firearm to a gun shop in Colorado, where the customer will have to go through the background check process all over again before taking possession of the gun.
Smith said he can’t risk getting tangled up in the different regulations between states, which could potentially land him in hot water.
“We go by the federal regulations, and follow them,” he said.
The Right To Refuse
Perez said the background check system is largely effective in keeping guns out of the hands of people who shouldn’t have them.
But dealers also have leeway to deny sales they’re not comfortable with, he added.
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“As a private business, we have the right to refuse service to anyone,” Perez said.
Weber and Smith said that, for instance, they’ll flatly refuse to sell a gun to anybody who comes in smelling of liquor.
Smith added that he and Perez tell their employees they have the right to delay any sale, and defer it to them as the manager and owner of the shop.
“We instruct our employees that if they feel uncomfortable about a sale for any reason, they can deny it and ask that person to come to me or Leo,” he said.
Weber said licensed firearms dealers should act as gatekeepers.
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“We’re the first line of defense in keeping firearms out of the hands of people who should not have them,” he said.
Mark Heinz can be reached at mark@cowboystatedaily.com.
GILLETTE, Wyo. — Two of the Republican candidates for Wyoming governor, Megan Degenfelder and Brent Bien, went head to head in Campbell County this evening. They both highlighted differences in some areas but agreed on energy, public lands, government oversight, abortion and election security.
Degenfelder, Wyoming’s superintendent of public instruction, introduced herself as “a Wyoming ranch kid whose parents clawed their way into the middle class” and said she believes Wyoming is “worth fighting for” because she believes the Wyoming people’s lives are at stake.
Bien, a retired Marine Corps colonel and combat veteran, pointed to his military career and leadership experience.
“My whole adult life has been about leadership, about principled conservative leadership,” he said. “My objective is to restore principled conservative leadership, accountability and discipline to Cheyenne.”
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Nuclear energy
Both candidates supported Wyoming’s role in energy production but opposed bringing outside nuclear waste into the state.
“I do not want Wyoming to be … the permanent repository for spent nuclear fuel. I will not allow that to happen on my watch,” Bien said.
Degenfelder said Wyoming should consider nuclear power as part of its energy future but added, “If it works for us to be able to have nuclear as part of the portfolio, then it has to be right for Wyoming and that is ensuring that we do not accept anyone else’s waste, period.”
Public lands
The candidates also opposed privatization of public lands.
“No one loves public lands more than I do,” Degenfelder said. “You start selling that to the highest bidder, Wyoming loses who we are.”
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Bien said he is “absolutely opposed” to federal lands being sold to private interests.
“If they do decide to dispose of it, then we as the state of Wyoming should get first-right refusal at no cost,” he said.
Attorney general and judicial appointments
When asked what each would be looking for in an attorney general and judicial appointment, both candidates called for conservative leadership.
Bien said he would seek an attorney general from outside state government.
“I want a clean set of eyes to look at what everything’s been that’s been going on,” he said. “I want someone who will put people first and it will put Wyoming first.”
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Degenfelder said she wants stronger advocacy from state agencies.
“I want a bulldog in not just the attorney general’s office, but in all state agencies,” she said. “I want an attorney general that is so aligned to my mission and vision and what I believe that there’s an amicus brief on my desk the next morning after an action takes place.”
Immigration
Both candidates supported stronger immigration enforcement.
Bien explained he wanted to cooperate with ICE “to the fullest extent possible” and to make sure immigrants who are not in the United States legally would be sent out of the state.
Degenfelder said illegal immigration is already affecting communities in Wyoming.
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“If you’re here legally, you got nothing to worry about. If you aren’t, it’s time to go home,” she said.
Energy development and green energy
Energy policy generated some of the sharpest comments of the night.
Degenfelder argued renewable energy projects should compete without government support.
“I’m also an economist and so I’ll tell you the way that you kill these green energy, you make them play on the same playing field,” she said. “No more tax subsidies, no more handouts, ensuring the regulatory environment is just as equal.”
Bien took a firmer stance against renewable development.
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“Folks, there’s no place in Wyoming for this green energy,” he said. “I want these things bonded up front and where we’re not paying for these like we did all the gas wells. The answer for me is absolutely, unequivocally no.”
Economic development
Degenfelder argued government should focus on infrastructure such as water and sewer systems rather than directing economic development.
“Government does not create jobs. Private business does,” she said.
Bien echoed that sentiment.
“The only business that government has in business is simply to get out of the way. It’s to cut taxes. It’s to deregulate,” he said. “Right now, we’re turning into state capitalism where we have our own state government picking winners and losers.”
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Government audits
Both candidates supported increased auditing of state government.
“This state has not done a full-blown budgetary audit since 1989,” Bien said. “Whoever’s belly-aching loudest is going to get audited first.”
Degenfelder agreed.
“We should be auditing every single state agency, every single budget line all the time,” she said. “Government is a beast, and you need someone in there who can tame it and who knows how to do it.”
Abortion
Abortion was another topic where both candidates expressed strong opposition.
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“Life starts at conception and there are no exceptions,” Degenfelder said. “We are now one of the most openly abortion states in the country because of that ruling by the Supreme Court. We’re working against the devil here.”
Bien also opposed abortion.
“Folks, for me, there are no exceptions. Life does begin at conception,” he said.
Election integrity
Bien advocated for hand-counting ballots.
“I am very much a proponent of hand tabulation being the primary method of counting all cast paper ballots and I will push that way,” he said.
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Degenfelder called for paper ballots statewide.
“Every single ballot should be a paper ballot,” she said, adding that she supports “banning dropboxes.”
Republican platform
Both candidates pledged support for the Wyoming Republican Party platform.
“80% is a no-brainer, and we need to require that out of our elected officials,” Degenfelder said.
Bien said he expects to be held to “100%” of the platform.
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“The party’s been co-opted. You have to have an ‘R’ behind your name to win in this state,” he said.
Candidate priorities
During a segment where candidates selected their own discussion topics, Degenfelder highlighted school choice, career and technical education, removing pornography from school libraries and protecting Wyoming’s water rights.
Bien focused on education and agriculture, criticizing student proficiency rates and proposing policies aimed at strengthening Wyoming’s agricultural industry, including declaring agriculture critical infrastructure and reducing regulations on small butcheries.
Technology and education
Although technology and its place within education was not discussed during the debate, County 17 asked both Degenfelder and Bien their thoughts regarding student technology in schools.
Bien said technology is being used too much in classrooms and is making it harder for students to think on their own.
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“What it’s doing is it’s dumbing down our kids,” Bien said. “Our kids aren’t learning how to critically think anymore. They go straight to one of the AI things and it generates an answer for them.”
Degenfelder said she backed a bill to ban cellphones during instruction time.
“I supported a bill that came through the legislature a couple of years ago that actually would ban cell use during instructional time, and I stand by that,” Degenfelder said. “I think that it’s appropriate to take cellphones out of classrooms, and what we find is that kids thrive.”
Closing statements
In closing remarks, Bien emphasized his experience as an outsider candidate.
“I am the only outsider in this race, but I am the only one who’s got an inordinate amount of leadership experience,” he said. “Folks, you deserve a government that you can trust.”
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Degenfelder pointed to her endorsements from President Donald Trump and U.S. Rep. Harriet Hageman.
“I get asked a lot, ‘How did you get the Trump endorsement?’” Degenfelder said. “The answer is really simple. I earned it.”
Alongside other candidates, Bien and Degenfelder will be competing for support in Wyoming’s Republican gubernatorial primary Aug. 18.
A 19-year-old Cheyenne man was sentenced Thursday to 22 years in the Colorado Department of Corrections for sexually assaulting a young girl at a metro Denver water park last summer.
Trenton Moskovita was also ordered to undergo Sex Offender Intensive Supervised Probation for at least 10 years after his release. It could last the rest of his life. The duration of such a probation typically depends on whether a defendant is determined to be successfully rehabilitated.
Trenton Moskovita following his arrest in June 2025.
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Arapahoe County Sheriff’s Office
Moskovita was arrested June 7, 2025, after Englewood Police Department officers were called to Pirates Cove Water Park in Littleton by employees. The girl, whose age was not provided, ran from a bathroom and told her mother about the assault. The girl later told investigators that Moskovita grabbed her, pulled into a family restroom, and pulled down his pants.
Moskovita immediately denied the child’s allegations. He told investigators the girl wanted help finding her parents, which he agreed to do but only after he went to the bathroom first, according to his arrest affidavit.
Officers were able to observe surveillance camera recordings which showed Moskovita motioning the girl toward him, then grabbing her hand and taking her into the restroom. They were inside nine minutes before the girl ran out of it, per the affidavit.
Moskovita eventually pleaded guilty to felony kidnapping and sexual assault on a child charges.
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“This defendant brazenly preyed upon a vulnerable child in a community space where families expect to be safe,” said 23rd Judicial Deputy District Attorney Tory Reavis in a press release. “The substantial sentence handed down this week reflects our absolute commitment to holding predators accountable and removing them from our streets.”
The judge ordered Moskovita to pay almost $7,000 to the girl and her family for costs of the girl’s mental health treatment, with additional money possible for future treatment.
The DA’s office stated the Sex Offender Intensive Supervised Probation is a program with significantly stricter requirements than standard probation.
The DA’s office referred to Moskovita as a Wyoming resident. A search of online public records indicated Cheyenne was his place of residence.
Incidentally, the water park has a Littleton address but is technically within Englewood PD’s jurisdiction.
CHEYENNE, Wyo. — Severe thunderstorms capable of producing large hail, damaging winds and tornadoes could hit southeast Wyoming this afternoon and Tuesday.
The National Weather Service issued a level two out of five slight risk for the eastern high plains on Monday.
There is a Slight Risk (Level 2 of 5) for severe weather on Monday. The strongest storms are expected between 3 and 9 p.m. (National Weather Service graphic)All modes of severe weather are possible: hail, damaging wind gusts, and an isolated tornado or two. (National Weather Service graphic)
Cheyenne has a 30% chance of showers and thunderstorms after 3 p.m. today, with a forecast high near 73 degrees. Winds will shift from the northwest to the southeast at 10–15 mph during the morning hours. Storm chances drop to 20% before 9 p.m., and areas of fog will develop after midnight as temperatures fall to a low around 52.
Tuesday brings a repeat of storm threats after noon. Morning fog will give way to mostly cloudy skies, which will gradually clear later in the day with a high near 75. Low-level moisture and atmospheric spin along and east of the Interstate 25 corridor could trigger severe conditions, with large hail listed as the main threat.
Showers remain possible mid-week, with a 50% chance of rain on Wednesday afternoon and a high near 77 degrees.
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A drying and warming trend will settle over Laramie County starting Thursday. High temperatures will climb to 79 on Thursday, 82 on Friday, and peak at 85 under sunny skies on Saturday.
Any remaining storms later in the week will likely produce high winds rather than rain due to dry air near the surface.
Detailed Forecast
Today: A 30% chance of showers and thunderstorms after 3 p.m. Sunny, with a high near 73. North northwest wind 5–10 mph becoming south southeast 10–15 mph in the morning.
Tonight: A 20% chance of showers and thunderstorms before 9 p.m. Areas of fog after midnight. Otherwise, partly cloudy, with a low around 52. South southeast wind 5–10 mph.
Tuesday: A 30% chance of showers and thunderstorms after noon. Patchy fog before 8 a.m. Otherwise, mostly cloudy, then gradually becoming sunny, with a high near 75. South southeast wind 5–15 mph.
Tuesday Night: A slight chance of showers and thunderstorms before 9 p.m., then a slight chance of showers between 9 p.m. and midnight. Partly cloudy, with a low around 49. South southeast wind 5–10 mph becoming west southwest after midnight. Chance of precipitation is 20%.
Wednesday: A 50% chance of showers and thunderstorms after noon. Mostly sunny, with a high near 77. West wind around 5 mph becoming east in the afternoon.
Wednesday Night: A chance of showers and thunderstorms before 9 p.m., then a chance of showers between 9 p.m. and midnight. Partly cloudy, with a low around 48. Chance of precipitation is 30%.
Thursday: A 30% chance of showers and thunderstorms after noon. Mostly sunny, with a high near 79.
Thursday Night: Partly cloudy, with a low around 51.
Friday: A slight chance of showers and thunderstorms after noon. Sunny, with a high near 82.
Friday Night: Partly cloudy, with a low around 51.
Saturday: Sunny, with a high near 85.
Saturday Night: Partly cloudy, with a low around 52.
Sunday: Sunny, with a high near 84.
More on the weather is available at the National Weather Service website.
