One stated purpose of gun control is to keep firearms out of the hands of criminals. Countless gun control laws have been crafted, supposedly in order to do just that.

And yet, criminals keep getting guns.

Now, they get them in a number of ways. One is outright theft, of course.

Another is a straw buy, meaning they get someone with a clean criminal record to buy guns for them. There are all kinds of reasons this is a bad idea, of course, but people still do it.

That’s what happened with one Pennsylvania woman.

A woman charged with straw purchases of five handguns said she handed them over to a gang member who sold the weapons.

The Luzerne County District Attorneys Office on Monday filed five counts each of making materially false written statements to purchase the firearms, all felonies, and misdemeanor charges of making false statements under penalty against Rachel Drumgo, 37, of Wilkes-Barre. Drumgo was arraigned and released on $25,000 unsecured bail.

The Taurus and Ruger 9 mm pistols were purchased in August at The Cabin Armory in Plains Township and H & H Tactical in Exeter, the office said.

The criminal complaint said: During an interview with investigators on Aug. 15, Drumgo said she was supposed to paid $100 for each gun she purchased for a man who went by the street name “Drip” and was a member of the Bloods street gang. Drumgo said “Drip” had a criminal history and could not buy guns for himself. Investigators determined the man was Troy Siddons.

Maybe it’s just me, but I wouldn’t risk my freedom for $100.

Then again, I also wouldn’t risk my freedom by committing straw buys for gang members, either.

Yet this happens all the time. Despite that, though, this isn’t how most criminals get their guns. It doesn’t matter, though, because it happens enough and is one more (illegal) avenue for arming the bad guys.

Which, of course, then leads to so-called gun crime that then leads to calls for more gun control.

Yet every straw buy is evidence of how gun control fails.

After all, straw buys are illegal. You cannot conduct one lawfully. It’s just not possible.

And yet, they keep happening. That’s because criminals are going to keep doing criminal things. They’re not exactly rolling over and giving up their non-law-abiding ways simply because you passed a new law.

“But the gun stores should stop this.”

How?

The vast majority of licensed gun dealers certainly try, but unless the other party is there and making it kind of obvious the gun is for them, there’s not much they can do. How are they supposed to know that it’s a straw buy when there may be no indication it’s a straw buy?

They’re not mindreaders. They can’t divine someone’s intentions just by looking at them. If someone walks in and acts like a lawful gun buyer, they have no way of knowing.

And this will arm criminals.

Straw buys are illegal, but they exist and they will continue no matter what roadblocks you concoct to try and prevent them.