Crimes of Moral Turpitude

Mere possession of firearms without any malice or intent to harm is NOT considered CMT.  Simple gun possession is generally not a crime of moral turpitude, although it is a separate basis of deportation.

Matter of Rainford, 20 I. & N. Dec. 598 (BIA 1992). 

A noncitizen with a gun possession conviction may still be considered not to have Good Moral Character, however. 

            See Acevedo-Toscano v. INS, 1994 U.S. App. LEXIS 20638 (9th Cir. 1994) (unpublished).

Possession of a sawed-off shotgun. 

Matter of Granados, 16 I. & N. Dec. 726 (BIA 1979) (conviction of possession of a concealed sawed-off shotgun is not a crime involving moral turpitude), criticized in Campos v. INS, 961 F.2d 309 (1st Cir. 1992).

Matter of Hernandez-Casillas, 20 I. & N. Dec. 262, 278 (BIA 1990, AG 1991), aff’d mem. sub nom. Hernandez-Casillas v. INS, 983 F.2d 231 (5th Cir. 1993) (Table), citing United States ex rel. Andreacchi v. Curran, 38 F.2d 498 (S.D.N.Y. 1926); Ex parte Saraceno, 182 Fed. 955 (S.D.N.Y. 1910);

Matter of Granados, 16 I. & N. Dec. 726 (BIA 1979).

            Firearms Licensing Fraud.

Ali v. Mukasey, 521 F.3d 737 (7th Cir. Apr. 4, 2008) (conviction for violation of 18 U.S.C. § 924(a)(1)(A), giving false statement regarding information required for firearms license, is a CMT where the pre-sentence report indicated an intent to defraud).  This is a poorly reasoned decision, which looked beyond the elements and the record of conviction to find the offense was a CMT.  See § 6.2(B), infra.