Louisiana Department of Wildlife and Fisheries

Louisiana --(Ammoland.com)- A Livingston Parish man was sentenced on Jan. 17, 2012 in Livingston Parish Court for hunting deer during illegal hours, contributing to the delinquency of a juvenile and resisting an officer.

21st Judicial Division B Judge Doug Hughes sentenced Kevin L. Paille, 43, of Springfield, to pay $1,388 in fees and fines, complete two years of supervised probation and refrain from owning or possessing a firearm for two years.

Paille pleaded guilty to all three charges.

Louisiana Department of Wildlife and Fisheries Enforcement Division agents cited Paille in January of 2011 after receiving a complaint about two people on foot hunting deer at night in Livingston Parish.

Agents went to the area and located the subjects one of which was a juvenile. Paille was issued citations for the three offenses and booked into the Livingston Parish Jail.

Agents involved in the case were Sgt. Dane Thomas, Senior Agent Buck Hampton and Senior Agent Daniel Varnado.

For more information, contact Adam Einck at 225-765-2465 or aeinck@wlf.la.gov.

Louisiana Department of Wildlife and Fisheries

Louisiana --(Ammoland.com)- Louisiana Department of Wildlife and Fisheries Enforcement Division agents cited a Franklin Parish man Jan. 19 for alleged deer hunting violations and contest fraud.

Agents cited Billy W. Jordan, 54, of Winnsboro for taking a deer with an illegal weapon and four felony counts of contest fraud.

Agents received information that Jordan had taken a trophy buck on Louisiana Delta property in Catahoula Parish with a .204 caliber rifle. Agents interviewed Jordan and he allegedly confessed to shooting the buck with the illegal weapon on Dec. 28.

Jordan then entered the buck into four big buck contests including Morehouse, Ouachita, Caldwell and LaSalle parishes. The buck sported 15 points with main beams of 31 1/2 inches and an inside spread of 24 7/8 inches.

Louisiana law requires that deer can only be taken with a center fire rifle at least .22 caliber or larger. The antlers and the four score sheets at the big buck contest were seized as evidence. Jordan will also be assessed civil restitution for the value of the illegally taken deer, which is $2,033.29.

Taking a deer with an illegal weapon brings a fine between $100 and $350 and up to 60 days in jail. Contest fraud carries a fine up to $3,000 and up to one year in jail for each count.

Agents involved in the case were Senior Agents Bear Fletcher and Lee Tarver and Agents Kurt Hatten and Kenny Robertson.

For more information, contact Adam Einck at 225-765-2465 or aeinck@wlf.la.gov.

Louisiana Department of Wildlife and Fisheries

Louisiana --(Ammoland.com)- Louisiana Department of Wildlife and Fisheries (LDWF) Enforcement Division agents are seeking leads for information about the shooting of a bald eagle north of Farmerville in Union Parish.

On Jan. 13, LDWF agents were notified by a motorist traveling along Louisiana Hwy. 15 near Goose Elkins Road about a wounded eagle walking beside the road. Agents responded and found a bald eagle with an injury to its wing.

The eagle was recovered and transported to the Wildlife Hospital at the Louisiana State University (LSU) Veterinary School of Medicine in Baton Rouge where it was determined the eagle was shot in the wing. The eagle had to have the tip of its right wing amputated and thus will not be able to fly. After recovery, the eagle will be placed in a zoo or other wildlife sanctuary.

Anyone with information regarding the shooting of this eagle should call the Louisiana Operation Game Thief hotline at 1-800-442-2511 or use LDWF’s tip411 program. To use the tip411 program, citizens can text LADWF and their tip to 847411 or download the “LADWF Tips” iPhone app from the Apple iTunes store free of charge.

The hotline and the tip411 program are monitored 24 hours a day. Cash rewards up to $2,000 are offered for information leading to the apprehension of individuals harming a bald eagle. Tipsters can also remain anonymous.

The bald eagle is protected by the Bald and Golden Eagle Protection Act and the Migratory Bird Treaty Act.

The LSU Wildlife Hospital works largely off of donations to offer veterinarian care to this bald eagle and other wildlife in need of care. To make a donation to the Wildlife Hospital, please visit www.wildlife.lsu.edu/donations.shtml

For more information, contact Adam Einck at 225-765-2465 or aeinck@wlf.la.gov.

Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives

GREENVILLE, SC --(Ammoland.com)- United States Attorney Thomas G. Walker announced that in federal court today Senior United States District Judge Malcolm J. Howard sentenced STEVEN NEAL GREENOE, to 120 months imprisonment followed by three years supervised release.

On February 2, 2011, GREENOE, 37, of Raleigh, North Carolina, was charged by Superseding Indictment. On March 2, 2011, GREENOE pled guilty to exporting firearms from the United States without a license, in violation of Title 22, United States Code, Section 2778 and traveling in foreign commerce to deal in firearms without a licence, in violation of Title 18, United States Code, Section 924(n).

According to the Superseding Indictment, GREENOE, obtained pistol purchase permits and a concealed weapons permit, completed the Form 4473 Firearms Transaction Record required to purchase firearms, and purchased firearms. After purchasing the firearms, GREENOE took the firearms apart and disguised the firearms as machining engineering samples and inert firearms and concealed them in his checked luggage. As alleged in the Indictment, on nine occasions, from February 22, 2010, to July 25, 2010, GREENOE concealed a total of 63 pistols in his checked luggage and traveled from Raleigh, North Carolina to the United Kingdom.

“This was an international investigation into illegal firearms trafficking and firearms smuggling. We would like to thank the North West Regional Organized Crime Unit from Liverpool, England, for their assistance, along with ATF and ICE,” stated Mr. Walker. “Illegal firearms smuggling poses a danger to the public, and our office will prosecute such cases vigorously.”

“ATF considers all violations of the federal firearms laws, to include illegal international firearms trafficking, contributing factors to violent crime,” said Acting Special Agent in Charge Melvin D. King of the ATF Charlotte Field Division. “We will hold anyone who chooses to engage in this type of illegal conduct fully accountable for their actions. Both domestic and international gun running poses a serious threat to public safety, and that will not be tolerated.”

“By seeking to circumvent both U.S. and U.K. laws to illegally export firearms, Mr. Greenoe has potentially put the safety of countless law–abiding British citizens at risk,” said Brock D. Nicholson, special agent in charge of U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement’s (ICE) Homeland Security Investigations (HSI) in Georgia and the Carolinas. “Thanks to investigative assistance from the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives, in addition to the aggressive prosecution by the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Eastern District of North Carolina, Mr. Greenoe will now be held accountable for his crimes.”

Investigation of this case was conducted by the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives and the United States Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE), Homeland Security Investigations. Assistant United States Attorney Jane Jackson represented the government.

Montana Fish, Wildlife and Parks

HAVRE, Mont. --(Ammoland.com)- A Havre-area man has plead guilty to multiple misdemeanor charges in connection with illegally guiding hunters and violating other state wildlife protection laws.

Kenneth Jay Wilson, 50, is a resident of Laredo, a tiny community located about 10 miles southwest of Havre.

He recently pleaded guilty in Hill County Justice Court to two counts of harassing/chasing a game animal with a vehicle; one count of soliciting a nonresident to hunt without landowner permission; one count of soliciting a nonresident to hunter without a waterfowl stamp; hunting game birds without a license; one count of soliciting the hunting of big game without a license; and two counts of acting as an outfitter or guide without a license.

For those convictions, Hill County Justice of the Peace Audrey Barger ordered Wilson to pay a total of $6,380 in fines, fees and restitution and sentenced him to four years in the county jail, all time suspended if he pays the assessment and remains law-abiding.

As part of that total, Wilson must pay $2,775 to the state for fees he received for illegal guiding activities. He also forfeited his privileges to hunt, trap or fish for two years. In return for the guilty pleas, 21 other related misdemeanor charges were dismissed.

In Chouteau County Justice Court, Wilson also pleaded guilty to a single misdemeanor count of acting as an outfitter or guide without a license.

He was fined $835, must forfeit privileges to hunt, trap, fish or accompany anyone else in the field for two years, and must write an apology to an area landowner, whose property was hunted on without permission.

As part of a plea agreement, two other related misdemeanor charges were dismissed.

“A total disregard for hunting laws was revealed during this investigation,” said FWP Region 6 Investigator Lennie Buhmann. “The situation needed to be addressed, and it was.”

Louisiana Department of Wildlife and Fisheries

Louisiana --(Ammoland.com)- Louisiana Department of Wildlife and Fisheries (LDWF) Enforcement Division agents are seeking leads for an illegally killed black bear that was found floating in the Mississippi River in Pointe Coupee Parish.

Hunters in the area reported the bear to LDWF on Sunday, Dec. 11 near the old ferry landing.

LDWF performed a necropsy on the bear at the recovery scene, which revealed the bear was shot multiple times and then probably disposed of into the river. LDWF is estimating that the bear was shot either a day or two before being reported.

“The bear was a lactating female meaning this action has left orphan cubs out there somewhere that will now also die as a result of this unfortunate shooting,” said Maria Davidson, LDWF’s Large Carnivore Program Manager.

“Losing this mother bear and most likely her cubs is a serious setback for our plans to make the Louisiana black bear a sustainable game animal in the near future.”

When LDWF officials went back to retrieve the bear they found the bear had been decapitated by someone since the last visit to the scene. LDWF is warning the public that being found in possession of parts of a Louisiana black bear is against the law.

Anyone with information regarding this illegal bear killing or the whereabouts of the missing black bear head should call the Louisiana Operation Game Thief hotline at 1-800-442-2511 or use LDWF’s tip411 program. To use the tip411 program, citizens can text LADWF and their tip to 847411 or download the “LADWF Tips” iPhone app from the Apple iTunes store free of charge.

The hotline and the tip411 program are monitored 24 hours a day. Cash rewards up to $5,000 are offered for information leading to the apprehension of individuals harming a black bear. Tipsters can also remain anonymous.

“We have solved cases like this in the past with the public’s help and we are again asking for any leads that might guide us in the right direction” said Col. Winton Vidrine, head of the LDWF Enforcement Division. “

This bear has no reported nuisance history and by all accounts was a healthy adult female Louisiana black bear.

The Louisiana black bear has been listed on the Federal Threatened and Endangered Species List since 1992. Citizens are reminded that killing a Louisiana black bear is a violation of both state law and the federal Endangered Species Act. Violators are subject to penalties of up to $50,000 and six months in jail. In addition, a civil restitution fine of $10,000 for the bear may be imposed on anyone convicted of killing a black bear in Louisiana.

With the number of bear and hunter interactions on the rise within the last couple of years, LDWF encourages hunters to carry bear spray and know a few simple rules. If possible, a hunter encountering a bear should back away and proceed in another direction. If a bear approaches, you should raise your arms over your head to appear larger and speak in a normal tone of voice to let the bear know you are there. If the bear continues to approach, wave your arms and yell at the bear. At this point a hunter could use bear spray to deter the bear’s approach.

Hunters should also be aware that baiting deer with corn artificially concentrates bears near deer stands. It is recommended that hunters either refrain from using corn for bait or use soybeans to reduce bear feeding activity. Bear encounters can be reported to 1-800-442-2511.

Louisiana Department of Wildlife and Fisheries

Louisiana --(Ammoland.com)- A New Iberia man was sentenced in Federal Western District Court in Lafayette on Dec. 21 for illegally killing a Louisiana black bear.

Federal Judge Patrick J. Hanna sentenced Cory R. Ronsonet, 39, to three years of supervised probation, three years of no hunting privileges, a $3,000 fine and 300 hours of community service. If the fine is paid and community service completed within six weeks, then the probation will be reduced to unsupervised.

Louisiana Department of Wildlife and Fisheries (LDWF) Enforcement Division agents initiated the investigation during the 2008-09 hunting season after receiving a public tip that a black bear had been shot then skinned and stored in a fashion to mount it in the future. Agents then found a black bear skin and its decapitated head on May 19, 2011 off of Daniel Lane near a subdivision in New Iberia.

During the investigation, Ronsonet admitted to LDWF Enforcement Division agents on May 31, 2011 of taking the black bear in question. Ronsonet pleaded guilty for violating the federal endangered species act for illegally taking a black bear in Federal Western District Court in Lafayette on Aug. 17.

Assistant U.S. Attorneys Joe Mickel and Howard Parker prosecuted the case. LDWF Senior Agent David Boudreaux was the lead investigator on the case and was assisted by Sgts. James Rhodes, Mitch Darby, Brian Theriot and Senior Agent Jason Romero. U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service Special Agent Phillip Siragusa also assisted with the investigation.

The bear had been a part of LDWF’s black bear program and was first tagged in 2000 when it was estimated to be six years old. The passive integrated transponder implanted during the initial capture was left in the hide when the bear was skinned and provided positive identification. LDWF had never received a nuisance call about this older male bear that lived mostly in the Weeks Island area of lower Iberia Parish.

The Louisiana black bear has been listed on the Federal Threatened and Endangered Species List since 1992. Citizens are reminded that killing a Louisiana black bear is a violation of both state law and the federal Endangered Species Act.

Pennsylvania Poaching Case Involves Record-Book Buck

Pennsylvania Game Commission

HARRISBURG, PA --(Ammoland.com)- A Lancaster County resident was cited for poaching a record-book class buck, according to charges filed by Pennsylvania Game Commission in the court of District Justice William Wenner, in Harrisburg, on Dec. 7.

Wildlife Conservation Officers Mike Doherty of Dauphin County, and John Veylupek, of Lancaster County, filed the charges against Scott M. Garner, 33, of Bainbridge, Lancaster County, who was charged for exceeding the bag limit for antlered deer in a license year by killing a second buck. Under long-standing bag limits, Pennsylvania hunters are limited to one antlered deer per license year.

On Dec. 1, Garner killed a 14-point buck in Londonderry Township, Dauphin County, during the two-week firearms deer season after having killed a five-point buck in archery season on Oct. 31. He re-used and altered his buck tag, originally used on the buck taken on Oct. 31, to tag the second buck illegally harvested on Dec. 1.

For killing the 14-point buck, Garner faces penalties of up to 90 days in jail and an enhanced fine of $6,500 since the size of the deer’s antlers are considered trophy class under Game Commission regulations. He also faces up to three years revocation of his hunting and trapping privileges in Pennsylvania.

Had the 14-point buck been lawfully taken by a hunter, with a Boone & Crockett green-score of 172.5 inches, it would have placed it in the top 25 for typical deer taken with a firearm in Pennsylvania’s All-Time Big Game Records.

Toll-Free Phone Hotline Puts Kansas Poachers On Hot Seat

Kansas Department of Wildlife and Parks

PRATT, KS -–(Ammoland.com)- Each year, Kansas Department of Wildlife, Parks and Tourism (KDWPT) natural resource officers (NROs) check tens of thousands of hunters in the field, and about 96 percent of them are found to be law-abiding.

Unfortunately, many non-hunters sometimes associate these ethical hunters with that small percentage who are not.

KDWPT has 73 NROs to cover the entire state, so they need the help of hunters — and anyone else who enjoys the outdoors — to watch out for those who don’t take wildlife crime seriously. Whether it’s trespassing, shooting from a vehicle on the road, any other activity that appears to be a violation of the law, KDWPT officers need your help.

The easiest way to fight wildlife crime is by phoning KDWPT’s Operation Game Thief hotline, 1-877-426-3843. Using this toll-free number, concerned hunters and landowners can quickly turn in wildlife criminals simply by picking up the phone. All calls received through the Operation Game Thief line are immediately relayed to the natural resource officer nearest the violation. The line is available anytime of day or night, every day of the year, and callers may remain anonymous.

Nothing can spoil a good hunt more than poachers, who should not be considered “hunters.” Although they may seldom describe themselves as poachers, wildlife thieves are just that. These are the people who trespass, road hunt, litter, take more than their bag limit, drink while they hunt, use illegal equipment, take game out of season, take wildlife for which there is no season, or vandalize. Poachers not only damage the natural resources they should be committed to conserving, they reflect poorly on hunters in the eyes of the general public.

Operation Game Thief calls have resulted in arrests and convictions on violations ranging from public lands vandalism to deer poaching. In many cases, poachers have been arrested within minutes of the call. Even drug operations have been uncovered by alert hunters using this number.

But remember these two important reporting rules:

• never confront suspects; and
• provide as much specific information as possible, such as vehicle descriptions and license tag numbers, descriptions of people involved, locations, and the time and location the incident occurred.

Remember, when you see someone violating wildlife laws, they are stealing from you and damaging the image of legal hunters. Help bring them to justice by phoning 1-877-426-3843.

West Virginia Deer Slaughter Case

West Virginia DNR

FAIRMONT, W.Va. – -(Ammoland.com)- At least 13 deer were shot, killed and left lying on the ground in the Fairmont area during the month prior to the start of the deer firearms seasons this week, and the Law Enforcement Section of the West Virginia Division of Natural Resources is requesting help from the public to solve this case.

The deer were found in the Apple Valley / Boothsville area, according to Capt. William Persinger of the WVDNR District 1 Office in Farmington.

Six deer were shot and killed within 25 yards of a residence in Apple Valley. Another seven deer were shot and killed on two additional properties near the same area, near several residences that were within 100 yards of each other.

“It has all the indications of being a copycat thrill killing case similar to others we’ve seen around the country,” Capt. Persinger said. “Some of the deer had small parts removed as if the shooters wanted to keep them as trophies, just like the traits we have seen with some serial killers.”

WVDNR Law Enforcement has been investigating and is asking for assistance from the public. Anyone who has information that will lead to the arrest and conviction of those involved in this crime is asked to contact Natural Resources Police Officers James Crawley, Randall Kocsis or Capt. William Persinger at the WVDNR District 1 Office headquarters in Farmington at 304-825-6787.

West Virginia Deer Slaughter Case

West Virginia Deer Slaughter Case

“Poaching is not just a violation of the law, it also deprives honest sportsmen of the opportunity to legally harvest game,” Capt. Persinger said.

Nebraska Game and Parks Commission

LINCOLN, Neb. --(Ammoland.com)- Seven people were cited for game law violations in a joint effort by the Nebraska Game and Parks Commission and the Nebraska State Patrol (NSP) to catch spotlighters in the St. Paul area over the weekend.

An NSP airplane using heat-detecting equipment discovered individuals in three vehicles and guided five Game and Parks conservation officers on the ground from 8:30 p.m. Nov. 18 until 12:30 a.m. Nov. 19.

All seven individuals were ticketed for hunting with the aid of an artificial light. Two of those also were cited for no fur harvest permits, one for failure to tag his traps, and one for liquidated damages on a raccoon.

More than $2,000 in fines was assessed, in addition to liquidated damages of $25 for the raccoon.

Jerry Pecha, a Game and Parks law enforcement supervisor, said the project was carried out during the November firearm deer season to increase the possibility of catching deer spotlighters in response to many complaints in the area.

A similar project is planned for the future, Pecha said.

This 7x7 bull elk was shot and killed by poachers last week off Clear Creek Road south of Chinook. (Photo courtesy Montana FWP)

Montana Fish, Wildlife and Parks

CHINOOK, Mont. --(Ammoland.com)- State wildlife investigators are seeking help from the public regarding the illegal shooting of a large bull elk south of Chinook in Blaine County, MT.

Havre-area Montana Fish, Wildlife & Parks Warden Ron Howell said the

7×7 bull was shot sometime between 5 p.m. on Sun., Nov. 6 and 7 a.m. on Mon., Nov. 7 off the Clear Creek Road. The elk’s head and antlers were left intact, and all of the meat was left to rot.

Anyone with information about the poaching case is asked to call Howell directly at 406-262-2407, FWP Region 6 Warden Sgt. Shane Reno at 406-262-3133, or FWP’s 24-hour TIP-MONT hotline at 1-800-847-6668.

Callers can remain anonymous and may be eligible for a cash reward up to $1,000.

Michigan Department of Natural Resources

Michigan --(Ammoland.com)- Conservation officers with the Michigan Department of Natural Resources are seeking information about a moose poaching incident that occurred sometime between the evening of Oct. 26 and the morning of Oct. 27 in southern Humboldt Township in Marquette County.

The DNR received a call from a township resident about a severed moose head placed on top of a rock with a sign leaning against it reading, “Wolf’s (sic) won’t get this one!!”

Officers investigating the scene noted the blood had not yet coagulated and the antlers had been removed, placing the poaching of the animal within hours of discovery. The head was discovered in an area by the corner of County Road CF and East Road near Helen Lake.

Officers were able to collect fingerprints from the cardboard sign and other evidence in the vicinity. The resident who alerted the DNR to the scene said the head was not there when she came home from work the evening of Oct. 26, but was there by 9 a.m. Thursday, Oct. 27.

Persons with information about this or any natural resources violation can call the DNR’s Report All Poaching (RAP) Line 24 hours a day toll-free at 800-292-7800 or can contact Lt. Tim Robson at the DNR’s Marquette Operations Service Center between the hours of 8 a.m. and 5 p.m. at 906-228-6561. Information can be left anonymously, and often monetary rewards are offered for information that leads to the arrest of violators.

The Michigan Department of Natural Resources is committed to the conservation, protection, management, use and enjoyment of the state’s natural and cultural resources for current and future generations. For more information about the department, go to www.michigan.gov/dnr.

Grass Roots North Carolina for Firearms Education

North Carolina --(Ammoland.com)- As we advised you a few days ago, Forsyth County Sheriff William Schatzman was requiring employment information on Concealed Carry applications.

Your voice has been heard. That information is no longer required.

While we would prefer its removal altogether, the fact that it has now been changed to optional is testimony to the power you exert when you speak with one voice.

Give yourselves a hand.

About:
Grass Roots North Carolina/Forum for Firearms Education is a non-profit, all volunteer organization devoted to educating the public about trends which abridge the freedoms guaranteed by the Bill of Rights, and engaging in grass roots activism to preserve those freedoms. Formed in 1994 to conduct a highly successful rally for the Second Amendment, GRNC has gone on to conduct projects like “Remember in November: A Gun Owner’s Guide to Voting,” bringing concealed carry to North Carolina. Visit:www.grnc.org

Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives

WICHITA, KAN. --(Ammoland.com)- Sixty–seven defendants have been charged with federal and state crimes as the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives wraps up an 11–month operation aimed at taking guns out of the hands of convicted felons, U.S. Attorney Barry Grissom announced today.

Leaders of ATF, the Wichita Police Department, the Sedgwick County Sheriff’s Office, the Sedgwick County District Attorney’s Office and the Wichita Area Gun Task Force joined Grissom for a news conference to announce the indictments.

“This operation was planned for one purpose – to make Wichita safer,” Grissom said. “I believe that every weapon taken out of the hands of a convicted felon represents lives saved and violent crimes prevented.” Dozens of law enforcement officers and agents executed arrest warrants this week. Prior to the execution of arrest warrants, the operation recovered 200 firearms, including guns that had been reported stolen and sawed off shotguns, as well as cocaine, crack cocaine, Ecstasy, marijuana, methamphetamine, PCP and prescription drugs.

“We focused resources on offenders who use and provide guns for the commission of violent crimes,” Grissom said.

Federal law prohibits anyone convicted of a felony from possessing firearms or ammunition. It also prohibits drug traffickers and users of controlled substances from possessing firearms.

The Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives worked on the investigation in conjunction with the Wichita Police Department and the Sedgwick County Sheriff’s Office. The Wichita Area Gun Task Force includes Wichita police officers and Sedgwick County Sheriff’s officers who work with ATF agents.

“Today’s success would not have been achieved without the commitment of our state and local partners,” said Special Agent in Charge Michael P. Gleysteen. “Together, we will continue to pursue our single goal of reducing violent crime.”

A significant number of the federal and state defendants were arrested yesterday and today. The defendants not currently in custody are considered fugitives and are being sought by members of the task force.

“This is another great example of local law enforcement teaming with our federal partners to improve public safety in our local neighborhoods,” said Deputy Chief Tom Stolz of the Wichita Police Department. “This effort will detrimentally affect one of our most active local street gangs and will directly help to reduce violence on the street. This city is lucky because the Wichita Police Department continues to enjoy a great working relationship with the United States Attorney’s Office, ATF and other federal law enforcement branches here.”

“Once again, the team approach and cooperation between the agencies have ensured that law enforcement in Sedgwick County is doing everything in their power to seek out and capture criminals,” said Sedgwick County Sheriff Robert Hinshaw. “The hard work displayed by all of the deputies, officers, and agents is a testament to their commitment to keeping our community safe.”

Federal indictments will be prosecuted by the U.S. Attorney’s office. The Sedgwick County District Attorney’s office will prosecute defendants charged in state district court.

A list of defendants named in federal indictments that have been unsealed so far will be made available after 3 p.m. Thursday.

Upon conviction , the alleged crimes carry the following penalties:

• Unlawful possession of a firearm after a felony conviction: A maximum penalty of 10 years in federal prison without parole and a fine up to $250,000.
• Unlawful possession of a firearm by a user of controlled substances: A maximum penalty of 10 years and a fine up to $250,000.
• Unlawful possession of a sawed off shotgun: A maximum penalty of 10 years and a fine up to $250,000.
• Unlawfully receiving an unregistered silencer: A maximum penalty of 10 years and a fine up to $10,000.
• Unlawful possession of a firearm with an obliterated serial number: A maximum penalty of 10 years and a fine up to $250,000.
• Unlawful transfer of a sawed off shotgun: A maximum penalty of 10 years and a fine up to $10,000.
• Unlawful possession of a firearm by a person who is under federal indictment: A maximum penalty of five years and a fine up to $250,000.
• Unlawful possession of a firearm by a fugitive from justice: A maximum penalty of 10 years and a fine up to $250,000.
• Distributing methamphetamine: Not less than five years and not more than 40 years and a fine up to $2 million.
• Distributing marijuana: A maximum penalty of five years and a fine up to $250,000.
• Distributing crack cocaine: A maximum penalty of twenty years and a fine up to $1 million.
• Distributing Ecstasy: A maximum penalty of 20 years and a fine up to $1 million.
• Food stamp fraud: A maximum penalty of five years and a fine up to $250,000.

The federal cases are being prosecuted by First Assistant U.S. Attorney Mike Warner, Assistant U.S. Attorney Matt Treaster, Assistant U.S. Attorney David Lind, Assistant U.S. Attorney Alan Metzger, Assistant U.S. Attorney Mona Furst, Assistant U.S. Attorney Jason Hart, Special AssisWe tant U.S. Attorney Aaron Smith and Special Assistant U.S. Attorney Duston Slinkard. The following agencies assisted in the arrest operation: the Kansas Department of Corrections, Immigration and Customs Enforcement, the U.S. Marshals Service, the Drug Enforcement Administration, the Kansas Bureau of Investigation and the Derby Police Department.

In all cases, defendants are presumed innocent until and unless proven guilty. The indictments merely contain allegations of criminal conduct.

Grass Roots North Carolina for Firearms Education

North Carolina --(Ammoland.com)- RINO William T. Schatzman has taken it upon himself to unlawfully collect employment information as part of concealed handgun permit applications processed in Forsyth Co.

And we have patiently and politely asked him to stop breaking State Law multiple times and in multiple ways.

Our advice has fallen upon deaf, and apparently arrogant ears.

Now the gloves come off…

• N.C. Gen. Stat. § 14-415.14 is perfectly clear about what information is allowed to be collected in concealed handgun permit applications.
• Sheriff Schatzman (GRNC 0-star) has been unlawfully requiring applicants to provide employment information.
• The fact that such unauthorized collection of information violates State law had been made clear to the Sheriff more than once.
• The Sheriff has arrogantly chosen to ignore our requests to stop, and continues breaking State Law.

He may believe that Sheriffs can ignore and/or make new laws while enforcing those on the books. Schatzman needs to learn that EVERYONE in our State obeys the laws of North Carolina – or pays the price!

• Let’s remind this elected Public Servant who he serves.
• Remind him yet again that he has been willfully breaking State law.
• Let’s point-out that in-order to prevent similar rogue behavior in Florida the legislature passed a PERSONAL $5000 fine for similar preemption of firearms laws – we can do the same.
• And finally, that should he continue unlawful data collection our next step will be a boycott of Forsyth County businesses – by gunowners statewide.

IMMEDIATE ACTION REQUIRED: Contact Schatzman via phone and email!

Try to call BETWEEN 9 and 10 am tomorrow (Friday, September 23) at (336) 917-7001, (336) 399-1442 and (336) 727-8070. If these times aren’t convenient for you, CALL WHEN YOU CAN!

Tell him to stop illegal collection of employment information as part of CHP applications.

Email the Sheriff at schatzwt@fcso.us.

Deliver the following message:

Sheriff Schatzman,

It has come to my attention that you have been willfully and unlawfully collecting employment information as part of concealed handgun permit applications in Forsyth County, NC.

As an elected Public Servant you have the same obligation to follow State law as do other citizens of North Carolina. Just because you were elected to enforce the law does not mean that you have somehow risen above it.

I strongly urge you to stop your unlawful data collection. As you may know, the State of Florida has enacted a PERSONAL $5000 fine for government officials who unlawfully preempt state firearms laws. Working with Grass Roots North Carolina I will happily advocate for similar legislation in our General Assembly if you choose to make this necessary.

If you do not immediately cease and desist your unlawful data collection, GRNC’s next step will be to implement a boycott of Forsyth Co. businesses by gun owners statewide.

I sincerely hope that you will not make this necessary, as it will be unpleasant to be forced to punish business owners by a rogue Sheriff that they may not have even voted for.

I will be following progress, and will work with Grass Roots North Carolina to initiate the steps outlined above if you make it necessary to do so.

Please don’t.

Sincerely,

A concerned NC voter

About:
Grass Roots North Carolina/Forum for Firearms Education is a non-profit, all volunteer organization devoted to educating the public about trends which abridge the freedoms guaranteed by the Bill of Rights, and engaging in grass roots activism to preserve those freedoms. Formed in 1994 to conduct a highly successful rally for the Second Amendment, GRNC has gone on to conduct projects like “Remember in November: A Gun Owner’s Guide to Voting,” bringing concealed carry to North Carolina. Visit:www.grnc.org

ATF Announces $5,000 Reward In Wisconsin's Fletcher Arms Gun Theft

Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives

ST. PAUL, Minn. --(Ammoland.com)- ATF is offering a reward of up to $5,000 for information leading to the arrest and conviction of the person or persons responsible for the theft of firearms from Fletcher Arms, Waukesha, Wis., announced Special Agent in Charge Bernard J. Zapor of the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives (ATF) St. Paul Field Division,

Approximately 30 firearms were stolen in a Sept. 2 burglary from Fletcher Arms, a federally licensed firearms dealer.

ATF and the Waukesha Police Department are investigating the theft.

“We are asking for the public’s help to recover these firearms and bring the person or persons responsible for this crime to justice,” said Zapor.

Any information regarding this burglary should be reported to ATF at 1 (800) ATF-GUNS (800-283-4867) or Waukesha Police Department at (262) 524-3814.

Fletcher Arms

More information about ATF and its programs is available at www.atf.gov

West Virginia Citizens Defense League

West Virginia --(Ammoland.com)- Most of us who choose to carry a handgun for person protection would probably agree that it is better to carry a handgun and not need it rather than to need a handgun and not have it or, as it has also been stated more succinctly, better to be judged by 12 than carried by 6.

The basic rule of the use of deadly force in self-defense in West Virginia was articulated by our state Supreme Court in Syllabus Point 7, State v. Cain, 20 W.Va. 679 (1882).

When one without fault himself is attacked by another in such a manner or under such circumstances as to furnish reasonable grounds for apprehending a design to take away his life, or to do him some great bodily harm, and there is reasonable grounds for believing the danger imminent, that such design will be accomplished, and the person assaulted has reasonable ground to believe, and does believe, such danger is imminent, he may act upon such appearances and without retreating, kill his assailant, if he has reasonable grounds to believe, and does believe, that such killing is necessary in order to avoid the apparent danger; and the killing under such circumstances is excusable, although it may afterwards turn out, that the appearances were false, and that there was in fact neither design to do him some serious injury nor danger, that it would be done. But of all this the jury must judge from all the evidence and circumstances of the case.

In other words, as our state Supreme court more recently explained in Syllabus Point 1, State v. Baker, 177 W.Va. 769, 356 S.E.2d 862 (1987), “The amount of force that can be used in self-defense is that normally one can return deadly force only if he reasonably believes that the assailant is about to inflict death or serious bodily harm; otherwise, where he is threatened only with non-deadly force, he may use only non-deadly force in return.” Words alone are not enough to justify deadly force in self-defense:  “Mere words or threats, unaccompanied by an overt act, do not constitute ground of justification or excuse of a homicide, under the law of self-defense[.]“ Syllabus Point 7, in part, State v. Snider, 81 W.Va. 522, 94 S.E. 981, 982 (1918).

In West Virginia and virtually all other states, the simple act of drawing a weapon from its holster or “flashing” what had been a concealed weapon is, as a matter of law, an exercise of deadly force.  In general, a person can only draw his or her weapon when the circumstances justify firing it.  According to published research, most self-defense cases involving a firearm involve only drawing a gun and do not involve firing a gun.  However, anyone who carries a gun must be aware that beyond the legal limitations on the use of deadly force, as a practical matter, he or she must be prepared to maintain control of the gun (preventing the bad guy or others from wresting control of the weapon), not to mention be prepared to fire it if simply drawing it does not terminate the threat.

In West Virginia, an innocent victim (as opposed to, for example, the instigator of a fight that the other combatant escalated into a potentially life-threatening situation) has no duty to retreat before using deadly force once presented with an imminent danger of death or serious bodily injury.  However, “when there is a quarrel between two or more persons and both or all are in fault, and a combat as a result of such quarrel takes place and death ensues as a result; in order to reduce the offense to killing in self-defense, two things must appear from the evidence and circumstances in the case: first, that before the mortal shot was fired the person firing the shot declined further combat, and retreated as far as he could with safety; second, that he necessarily killed the deceased in order to preserve his own life or to protect himself from great bodily harm . . . .”  Syllabus Point 6, in part, State v. Foley, 131 W.Va. 326, 47 S.E.2d 40 (1948).

Like most states, West Virginia is a Castle Doctrine state.  However, our Castle Doctrine rule is slightly different than most other states.

In Syllabus Points 2 and 3, State v. W.J.B., 166 W.Va. 602, 276 S.E.2d 550 (1981), our state Supreme Court held:

The occupant of a dwelling is not limited in using deadly force against an unlawful intruder to the situation where the occupant is threatened with serious bodily injury or death, but he may use deadly force if the unlawful intruder threatens imminent physical violence or the commission of a felony and the occupant reasonably believes deadly force is necessary.

The reasonableness of the occupant’s belief and actions in using deadly force must be judged in the light of the circumstances in which he acted at the time and is not measured by subsequently developed facts.

This formulation of the Castle Doctrine is not quite identical to the prevailing language used in Florida and the nearly two dozen states that copied Florida’s 2005 self-defense reform law.   Fla. Stat. § 776.013 provides, in part:

(1) A person is presumed to have held a reasonable fear of imminent peril of death or great bodily harm to himself or herself or another when using defensive force that is intended or likely to cause death or great bodily harm to another if:

(a) The person against whom the defensive force was used was in the process of unlawfully and forcefully entering, or had unlawfully and forcibly entered, a dwelling, residence, or occupied vehicle, or if that person had removed or was attempting to remove another against that person’s will from the dwelling, residence, or occupied vehicle; and

(b) The person who uses defensive force knew or had reason to believe that an unlawful and forcible entry or unlawful and forcible act was occurring or had occurred.

(2) The presumption set forth in subsection (1) does not apply if:

(a) The person against whom the defensive force is used has the right to be in or is a lawful resident of the dwelling, residence, or vehicle, such as an owner, lessee, or titleholder, and there is not an injunction for protection from domestic violence or a written pretrial supervision order of no contact against that person; or

(b) The person or persons sought to be removed is a child or grandchild, or is otherwise in the lawful custody or under the lawful guardianship of, the person against whom the defensive force is used; or

(c) The person who uses defensive force is engaged in an unlawful activity or is using the dwelling, residence, or occupied vehicle to further an unlawful activity; or

(d) The person against whom the defensive force is used is a law enforcement officer, as defined in s. 943.10(14), who enters or attempts to enter a dwelling, residence, or vehicle in the performance of his or her official duties and the officer identified himself or herself in accordance with any applicable law or the person using force knew or reasonably should have known that the person entering or attempting to enter was a law enforcement officer.

(3) A person who is not engaged in an unlawful activity and who is attacked in any other place where he or she has a right to be has no duty to retreat and has the right to stand his or her ground and meet force with force, including deadly force if he or she reasonably believes it is necessary to do so to prevent death or great bodily harm to himself or herself or another or to prevent the commission of a forcible felony.

(4) A person who unlawfully and by force enters or attempts to enter a person’s dwelling, residence, or occupied vehicle is presumed to be doing so with the intent to commit an unlawful act involving force or violence.

No Questions Asked Gun-Buy-Backs Are Illegal

FirearmsCoalition.org

Manassas, VA --(Ammoland.com)- For decades we’ve heard about gun turn-ins – “Gun Buy-Back” programs sponsored by churches, civic groups, and various other misinformed do-gooder organizations.

The very name – buy-back – implies that guns belong not to individuals, but to the government, or at least to the people who don’t like guns.

The programs have the stated purpose of “getting guns off the street,” which seems to give operators a pass from further scrutiny, even as they offer a tangible good such as a grocery store coupon or gift card in return for a gun, “no questions asked,” much like any other fencing operation.

Finally someone has forced the question: Are these programs legal?
Attorney and author of the New Jersey Gun Law Guide, Evan Nappen, not only asked the question, he is offering a $5000 bounty for anyone who can prove an affirmative answer.

Nappen is specifically asking about the legality of a church-sponsored program in the state of New Jersey.

As an expert on New Jersey gun laws Nappen says he can find no provision in the state’s maze-like gun statutes that permit churches and civic groups, or the people surrendering (actually selling) the guns, to by-pass the thicket of New Jersey state laws that require permits, background checks, and paperwork whenever a gun is transported or transferred.

Mr. Nappen also questions the “no questions asked” policy, and the immediate destruction of the guns, which might be stolen property, or could be evidence in serious crimes. Additional details of Nappen’s challenge can be seen on his web site, www.EvanNappen.com.

I don’t expect Evan will lose the $5,000 anytime soon. He knows New Jersey law and it is pretty clear that there are very specific requirements which are not being met in these “buy-back” programs.

Under New Jersey law, anyone wishing to surrender an illegally possessed firearm must first state their intention to do so in writing to their chief of police or the head of the State Police. The statement must include their identity. Also, while New Jersey does offer some immunity from prosecution to a person who turns in a gun in this manner, that immunity is limited to the crime of illegally possessing the gun, not to any other crimes that might involve the gun.

Further, it is a direct violation of NJ law for anyone other than a licensed dealer to purchase a firearm unless they have a special permit from the state. There is no provision for exceptions, exemptions, or special dispensations, and again, there is a requirement that paperwork be filled out which includes the name and identifying information of both the purchaser and the seller. Anonymous transactions are not legal in New Jersey. On top of all of that there is the issue of transporting the guns to the “buy-back” location. New Jersey has draconian laws regarding the transport of firearms and there is no exception for someone going to a “buy-back.”

The fact is that in New Jersey, like most other states, there simply is no provision for suspending gun control laws for the sake of anti-gun propaganda events.

Gun “buy-backs” are legally questionable even when they are conducted by municipalities or police departments. When they are conducted by private entities, there is no cover of law to be found. Not for the organization sponsoring the event, not for the people working the event, nor for the people bringing guns to the event to turn in. Just because law enforcement chooses to turn a blind eye to the infractions does not make them legal. Police may claim a need to use use discretion and common sense when they enforce the law – we’ve all seen stories of a kid’s lemonade stand shut down due to licensing or zoning issues, or when the Salvation Army is gigged for not paying minimum wage when they give a wino homeless person a few dollars for helping around the thrift store, but this goes beyond discretion. Wholesale disregard for laws that shouldn’t exist by the very people who demanded that they be passed in the first place goes beyond the realm of sense.

The New Jersey gun laws clearly infringe on the fundamental rights of citizens and are routinely used to ruin the lives of people who have no malicious intent or criminal agenda. Look up Brian Aitken for a stunning example. These are bad laws which do no good and cause great harm. They should be repealed, but until they are, they should not be ignored when it comes to the people who helped pass them.

Hollywood celebrities call for disarming the masses while they are protected by their armed bodyguards and their special dispensation carry permits. Legislators pass special exemptions and amnesty periods when they find one of their own snared in stupid gun laws. And well-meaning, peace-marching church folk call for stricter gun laws, but then expect to be able to openly defy those laws in the name of “getting guns off the street.”

It’s hypocritical, it’s wrong, and they shouldn’t be allowed to get away with it.

©Copyright 2010 Neal Knox Associates – The most trusted name in the rights movement.

About:
The Firearms Coalition is a loose-knit coalition of individual Second Amendment activists, clubs and civil rights organizations. Founded by Neal Knox in 1984, the organization provides support to grassroots activists in the form of education, analysis of current issues, and with a historical perspective of the gun rights movement. The Firearms Coalition is a project of Neal Knox Associates, Manassas, VA. Visit: www.FirearmsCoalition.org

ATF Offers Reward in Sherwin Shooting Sports Gun Shop Burglary

Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives

Eastlake, Ohio --(Ammoland.com)- The U.S. Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives (ATF) is offering a reward of up to $2,500 for information leading to the arrest and conviction of the person or persons responsible for the theft of firearms from Sherwin Shooting Sports, 33140 Vine St., Eastlake, Ohio. The burglary occurred at approximately 2:15 a.m. on Wednesday.

ATF and the Eastlake Police Department are investigating the theft of 28 firearms.

Investigators have developed information regarding this burglary; however, they need additional information from the public that may assist them in solving the case.

These firearms pose a potential danger and investigators are seeking information that would aid in the resolution of this investigation.

“Through experience, we know that stolen firearms are often used by violent criminals, such as gang members and drug dealers, to perpetrate additional crimes,” said Ed Dabkowksi, ATF Supervisory Special Agent in Cleveland.

“Law enforcement is seeking assistance from the public in locating these weapons and identifying those responsible.”

Anyone with information is asked to call the ATF crime gun hotline 1-800-ATF-GUNS (1-800-283-4867) or the Eastlake Police Department at (440) 951-1400. The ATF hotline is toll free and callers may remain anonymous.

ATF is the lead federal law enforcement agency with jurisdiction over violent crimes involving firearms. ATF also regulates the firearms industry to ensure licensed gun dealers sell guns in accordance with federal regulations.

More information on ATF and its programs is available at www.atf.gov.

Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives

Columbia, South Carolina --(Ammoland.com)- United States Attorney Bill Nettles stated today that Andre Moss, a/k/a “Dre” (22); Anthony Brevard, a/k/a “Amp” (20); Torrian Gleaton (22); Johnathan Bailey, a/k/a “Brandon” (21); Antonio Keller, a/k/a “Hollywood” (22); Allan Boyd (19); Travis Hayes, a/k/a “Trav” (21); and Dexter Clifford Savage, a/k/a “D–boi” (24) were sentenced to a combined 41 ½ years in prison as a result of an effort to focus on removing firearms and criminals from the Greenview Community in Columbia, SC.

Mr. Nettles went on to say: “We are pleased to have helped the citizens of Greenview as they fight to ensure their community remains safe and civil. As part of our ongoing Project CeaseFire initiative, we will continue to devote resources to removing firearms and criminals from the Greenview Community so that residents can safely raise their families and enjoy their neighborhood.”

The Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives (ATF) and Columbia Police Department (CPD) combined to remove twenty firearms from the community, including two SKS 7.62mm Cugir Model 56 assault rifles; one Norinco 7.62mm assault rifle; three Taurus .45 caliber semi–automatic pistols; two Taurus .40 caliber semi–automatic pistols; a Ruger .40 caliber semi–automatic pistol; a Harrington & Richardson .32 caliber revolver; a Hi–point 9mm semi–automatic pistol; a Bersa .380 caliber semi–automatic pistol; a Ruger .44 magnum revolver; a Charter Arms .38 caliber revolver; a Taurus .38 caliber revolver; a Rossi .38 caliber revolver; Smith and Wesson .357 revolver; a Marlin Glenfield 12–gauge sawed–off shotgun; a Mossberg 12–gauge shotgun; a Mossberg 20–gauge shotgun; and an assortment of ammunition for use in a variety of firearms.

Moreover, nine individuals plead guilty to charges in federal court and were sentenced to up to ten years in prison in addition to three years of supervised release: Moss (120 months), Hopkins (92 months), Hayes (90 months), Brevard (46 months), Savage (33 months), Bailey (33 months), Keller (33 months), Gleaton (27 months), and Boyd (24 months).

The joint ATF and CPD operation utilized a confidential informant in March and April of 2010 to purchase firearms and ammunition from members of the group. Then in June of 2010, members of the group robbed the confidential informant at gunpoint when he arrived at an apartment complex for a pre–arranged purchase of five firearms – including an AK–47 Assault Rifle and an Uzi.

Columbia Police Department Chief Randy Scott stated: “This operation was a cure for a persistent illness that the Greenview community has been suffering with for quite some time. The suspects will not be returning to the Greenview/Northeast community to continue their criminal acts. Law abiding residents have been taking proactive measures with the Columbia Police Department to safeguard their backyards. Efforts like this crime suppression operation will continue.”

The case was investigated by agents of the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives and the Columbia Police Department, and lead by Task Force Officer Brian Vanhouten. The prosecution was part of the joint federal, state and local Project CeaseFire initiative, which aggressively prosecutes firearm cases. Assistant United States Attorney Jay N. Richardson of the Columbia office handled the case.

Bear Creek Gun Shop and Gunsmithing

Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives

RALEIGH, N.C. –-(Ammoland.com)- Zebedee T. Graham, Special Agent in Charge of the Charlotte Field Division, Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives (ATF), has announced a reward of up to $2,500 for information that leads to the arrest and conviction of the person or persons responsible for the burglary of Bear Creek Gun Shop and Gunsmithing, 2411 E. Millbrook Avenue, Raleigh, North Carolina.

This business is a federally licensed firearms dealer.

On July 28, 2011, unknown persons broke into Bear Creek Gun Shop in the early morning hours and stole 19 firearms.

The burglary of this gun shop is being investigated by ATF and the Raleigh Police Department.

Anyone with information about this crime may report it to the:

• ATF Raleigh Field Office: (919) 719-2021
• ATF Gun Hotline: (800) ATF-GUNS – (800) 283-4867
• Raleigh Police Department: (919) 834-4357 (HELP)

All information will be treated confidentially and callers will remain anonymous upon request.

ATF is the federal agency with jurisdiction to investigate federal firearms violations and regulate the firearms industry. More information on ATF and its programs can be found at www.atf.gov.

Pryor Creek Armory

Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives

TULSA, Okla --(Ammoland.com)- Robert R. Champion, Special Agent in Charge for the Dallas Field Division of the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives (ATF), announced that ATF is offering a $3,000 reward for information leading to the arrest and conviction of those persons responsible for a burglary and theft that occurred sometime between the evening hours of Friday, July 8 and the early morning hours of Monday, July 11, 2011.

The burglary took place at the Pryor Creek Armory, located at 4 W. Graham Avenue in Pryor, Oklahoma.

The suspect(s) took approximately 47 handguns and one shotgun.

Anyone with information about this crime should contact the ATF Tulsa Field Office at (918) 594-1800, or the Pryor Police Department at (918) 825-1212. All calls will be kept confidential.

Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives

LOS ANGELES, CA --(Ammoland.com)- The Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives (ATF) today announced the arrest of seven defendants for various firearms and narcotics violations as the result of “Operation Woodchuck,” an undercover operation that targeted firearm traffickers in the San Fernando Valley.

An additional three suspects were arrested during today’s takedown unrelated to this investigation.

Operation Woodchuck was a year-long ATF investigation conducted in partnership with the California Department of Corrections and Rehabilitation, Office of Correctional Safety-Special Service Unit (CDCR-SSU), and the Los Angeles Police Department. With information provided by CDCR-SSU, an ATF undercover agent was able to infiltrate a group of criminals who were selling illegal firearms and narcotics in the San Fernando Valley. During the course of the investigation, ATF undercover agents purchased stolen firearms, machine guns and silencers.

“This is the end result of another grass-roots investigation at which ATF agents excel; a case involving good old-fashioned police work using undercover agents and surveillance resulting in the arrest of career criminals. The strategy of ATF’s Los Angeles Field Division remains one of relentlessly and aggressively pursuing firearms traffickers like these,” said John A. Torres, Special Agent in Charge of the ATF Los Angeles Field Division. “Taking 58 firearms off the streets of Los Angeles will have an impact now and in the future.”

Daniel Evanilla, Senior Special Agent of CDCR-SSU, stated: “CDCR, ATF and LAPD worked collaboratively on this case to recover weapons from criminals who obtained them and distributed them illegally. ATF put their agents out on the streets of Los Angeles to retrieve these firearms before they could be put in the wrong hands. I applaud ATF for participation in this dangerous operation, which involved the undercover purchase of firearms — not stolen microwave ovens – and was a very dangerous operation for all involved.”

Eleven of the 12 people wanted this morning were named in indictments returned last week by a federal grand jury in Los Angeles. The indictments allege crimes ranging from conspiracy to deal in firearms without a license, felon in possession of a firearm, possession of an unregistered machine gun, transfer of an unregistered machine gun in violation of the National Firearms Act (NFA), distribution of methamphetamine, and possession of an unregistered firearm.

The federal defendants arrested this morning are:

• David Abbott, 52, Los Angeles;
• Elijah Brown, 38, Los Angeles; fugitive at this time
• Anthony R. Campos, 37, Canoga Park;
• Arthur Chorny, 41, Studio City;
• Drew D. Darchuck, 42, Northridge; fugitive at this time
• Mitchell D. Knox, 22, Studio City; fugitive at this time
• Guillermo R. Navarrete, 35, Northridge;
• Manuel Santo, 41, Canoga Park;
• Guy F. Smith, 49, Los Angeles;
• Hector Valles, 46, Northridge; fugitive at this time
• Ehran Zamany, 46, Woodland Hills.

The seven federal defendants arrested are expected to be arraigned today in United States District Court in Los Angeles. If convicted of the charges in the indictment, they face prison sentences ranging from five years to life. The remaining four suspects listed above are considered federal fugitives at the time of this posting. Please call 1-800-ATF-GUNS with any information related to their whereabouts.

Claire P. Haviland, 49, Chatsworth, the 12th defendant, has been charged by the Los Angeles District Attorney’s office on state firearm and narcotic violations.

An indictment contains allegations that a defendant has committed a crime. Every defendant is presumed innocent until and unless proven guilty.

Operation Woodchuck was a joint investigation conducted by ATF, California Department of Corrections and Rehabilitation – Special Services Unit and LAPD. The Los Angeles County Sheriff’s Office provided assistance this morning with securing a marine vessel that was seized administratively by ATF on allegations it was used in the commission of transporting a NFA weapon during an undercover transaction.

More information about ATF and its programs is available at www.atf.gov.

Louisiana Department of Wildlife and Fisheries

Louisiana --(Ammoland.com)- The Palo Alto Rod and Gun Club and three Donaldsonville men pled guilty to Migratory Bird Treaty Act violations on June 24 in Federal Middle District Court in Baton Rouge.

U.S. Magistrate Judge Stephen C. Riedlinger ordered the Palo Alto Rod and Gun Club and the three men to pay a total of $34,810 in fines and assessments for the violations.

Louisiana Department of Wildlife and Fisheries (LDWF) Enforcement Division agents cited the Palo Alto Rod and Gun Club located near Donaldsonville in September of 2007 for baiting a dove field to attract mourning doves for paid hunts. Agents also cited Robert Lemann Sr., 62, Robert Lemann Jr., 38, and Kenneth Gomez, 62, and Wayne Gomez, 60, for baiting a dove field.

The Palo Alto Rod and Gun Club was ordered to pay a $25,300 fine and $350 in assessments. The club was also placed on probation for two years in which they will not be allowed to provide any paid hunts. Lemann Sr. represented the Palo Alto Rod and Gun Club and accepted their penalties in exchange to have his personal charges dropped.

Lemann Jr. was ordered to pay a $5,000 fine and $70 in assessments. Kenneth Gomez was fined $3,000 plus $70 in assessments. Wayne Gomez was ordered to pay a $1,000 fine and $20 in assessments. All three men were also placed on one year of probation with the stipulation that they cannot provide any paid hunts.

LDWF Agents began investigating the Palo Alto Rod and Gun Club in August of 2007 after receiving a public complaint. Agents setup surveillance on the club and observed dove fields that were baited with wheat seeds in an effort to attract mourning doves.

All four men are either employed or connected to the Palo Alto Rod and Gun Club.

Agents participating in the case were Lt. Dennis Bueche, Sgt. Will Roberts, Sgt. Randy Lanoux, Sgt. Todd Lewis, Senior Agent Chad Menzina and Senior Agent Hal Bridges. U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service special agents also assisted in the case.

For more information, contact Adam Einck at aeinck@wlf.la.gov.

Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives

KANSAS CITY, Mo. --(Ammoland.com)- Beth Phillips, United States Attorney for the Western District of Missouri, announced that a Kansas City, Mo., man was sentenced in federal court today for illegally possessing ammunition.

Steven L. Roberts, 43, of Kansas City, was sentenced by U.S. District Judge Dean Whipple to 15 years in federal prison without parole. Roberts was sentenced as an armed career criminal due to his prior felony convictions for crimes of violence.

On Feb. 8, 2011, Roberts pleaded guilty to being a felon in possession of ammunition. Roberts admitted that he was in possession of one round of 9mm ammunition. Roberts was arrested on Aug. 8, 2009, after a short foot chase by Kansas City police officers. When Roberts was searched, officers found the ammunition in his pants pocket. Officers also found a Makarov 9mm semi–automatic pistol, a small amount of methamphetamine and some marijuana when they canvassed the area through which Roberts ran.

Under federal law, it is illegal for anyone who has been convicted of a felony to be in possession of any firearm or ammunition. Roberts has three prior felony convictions for burglary and a prior felony conviction for abuse of a child.

This case is being prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney D. Michael Green. It was investigated by the Kansas City, Mo., Police Department and the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives.

Project Ceasefire
Project Ceasefire, launched in October 1999, is a cooperative initiative by federal and local law enforcement and the Kansas City Crime Commission that targets for federal prosecution persons who unlawfully use or possess firearms.

Kansas Department of Wildlife and Parks

WICHITA, KS --(Ammoland.com)- A Texas man was sentenced June 21 in a Wichita federal court on felony charges of conspiracy, wildlife trafficking, and obstruction of justice related to the illegal sale of guided deer hunts in southern Kansas, announced Barry Grissom, U.S. attorney for the District of Kansas, and Ignacia S. Moreno, assistant attorney general for the Justice Department’s Environment and Natural Resources Division.

James Bobby Butler, Jr., 42, of Martinsville, Tex., was sentenced to 41 months in federal prison. Butler pleaded guilty in March 2010 to one count of conspiracy to violate the Lacey Act, one Lacey Act interstate trafficking count, and one count of obstruction of justice.

His brother, Marlin Jackson Butler, 36, also of Martinsville, pleaded guilty in March 2011 to one count of conspiracy to violate the Lacey Act and one Lacey Act count. Marlin Butler is scheduled to be sentenced on June 24, 2011.

“Illegal wildlife trafficking is a threat to the natural resources of Kansas,” Grissom said. “Our goal is to preserve and protect wildlife for everyone to enjoy, including hunters who abide by the law.”

“Thanks to outstanding cooperation between federal and state law enforcement agents and prosecutors, we put an end to a criminal conspiracy that took valuable and limited wildlife resources,” Moreno added.

“This prosecution sends a message to everyone in Kansas and elsewhere that there will be serious consequences for those who seek to profit by violating state and federal wildlife laws, especially at the expense of those who hunt and guide lawfully.”

The Lacey Act is a federal law that makes it illegal to knowingly transport or sell in interstate commerce any wildlife taken or possessed in violation of state law or regulation. According to court documents filed in the case, James and Marlin Butler conspired together to knowingly transport and sell in interstate commerce deer that had been hunted in violation of Kansas state law.

In particular, the brothers operated a guiding service and hunting camp near Coldwater at which they sold guiding services to out-of-state hunters for the purpose of illegally hunting and killing white-tailed deer and mule deer. Hunters guided by the Butler brothers killed deer in excess of annual bag limits, hunted deer without permits or with permits for the wrong deer management unit, killed deer using illegal equipment, and hunted using prohibited methods such as spotlighting. The guided hunts were sold for between $2,500 and $5,500 and in several instances resulted in the killing of trophy-sized buck deer.

In addition to selling guiding services, the brothers also arranged for transport of the deer, in particular the antlers and capes, from Kansas to Texas and Louisiana.

James Butler also pleaded guilty to instructing another person to conceal or destroy evidence during the investigation.

“This is the largest case in the history of wildlife law enforcement in Kansas,” said Steve Oberholtzer, special agent in charge of the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service’s (USFWS) Mountain-Prairie Region.

“Trophy deer are an important resource for the state of Kansas from both wildlife and economic standpoints. Joint investigations such as this one demonstrate that the combined efforts of state and federal agencies and federal prosecutors result in prosecutions that hold those who violate the law accountable. We are grateful to the Kansas Department of Wildlife and Parks (KDWP) and the U.S. Attorney’s Office for their assistance in this case and hope that it will serve as a deterrent to others who might consider exploiting our nation’s wildlife for personal gain.”

The case was investigated by the USFWS, KDWP, and the Texas Parks and Wildlife Department, and jointly prosecuted by District of Kansas U.S. Attorney Barry Grissom’s office and the Justice Department’s Environment and Natural Resources Division, Environmental Crimes Section.

National Rifle Association

FAIRFAX, Va. --(Ammoland.com)- The Woodrow Wilson International Center, which previously accepted as fact that incredible numbers of newly purchased firearms were being smuggled from the U.S. to Mexico, has just released a report showing that the numbers have been incredibly exaggerated.

The revelation shifts the blame for Mexico’s drug cartel problem away from America’s “lax” gun laws, and squarely in the direction of Mexican officials and Central American weapons smugglers.

According to the report, Mexican President Felipe Calderon “[S]aid Mexico had seized about 90,000 arms . . . . [B]ut ATF now reports that tens of thousands of the trace requests are duplicates. In some cases, ATF has received information on the same firearm up to five times as Mexican police, a crime lab, the military, and the Attorney General’s office all write down information on the same firearm, and the individual in the Attorney General’s office in Mexico City submits trace requests on all of them. Of the remaining firearms, the Mexican government has also failed to sometimes include basic information about the firearms such as the manufacture’s serial number or the import number on many [of] these firearms.”

Furthermore, “about 26 percent of Mexico’s trace requests to the U.S. government for FY 2009 were untraceable because of serial number errors” and “75 percent of the firearms ATF was able to trace to the first purchaser in the United States were purchased more than five years ago.”

While Pres. Calderon regularly blames America for Mexico’s problem, “ATF officials . . . have sought to physically inspect firearms at crime scenes or at Mexican military storage facilities, but have had limited success, mostly because Mexican officials or the Mexican Attorney General’s office prevented such access, due in part to national sensitivities and lack of trust.”

The report also corroborates previously revealed information that “U.S. military officials also report that more than 50 percent of the military-type arms such as mortars, hand grenades, and grenade launchers discovered in [cartel] caches have crossed into Mexico most recently from Central America.”

Nevertheless, the report recommends adoption of the BATFE’s proposal to require firearm dealers in the four southwestern U.S. states to file multiple sales reports on people who buy more than one detachable-magazine semi-automatic rifle in a caliber greater than .22, including .223. It also recommends joint BATFE/ICE investigations that are focused on smuggling offenses, increased penalties for straw purchasers and, without much explanation, higher quality license plate readers on highways out of the United States.

About:
Established in 1871, the National Rifle Association is America’s oldest civil rights and sportsmen’s group. Four million members strong, NRA continues its mission to uphold Second Amendment rights and to advocate enforcement of existing laws against violent offenders to reduce crime. The Association remains the nation’s leader in firearm education and training for law-abiding gun owners, law enforcement and the military. Visit: www.nra.org

Louisiana Department of Wildlife and Fisheries

Louisiana --(Ammoland.com)- Louisiana Department of Wildlife and Fisheries (LDWF) Enforcement Division agents are seeking leads for an illegally killed black bear in the Iberia and Vermilion Parish area.

LDWF agents found a black bear skin and its decapitated head on May 19 off of Daniel Lane near a new subdivision in New Iberia.

Agents believe this bear’s skin and head are in connection to an illegally killed black bear that was reported through a public tip over a year ago in the Iberia and Vermilion Parish area. The public’s tip indicated someone had shot a black bear and then skinned and stored the bear in a fashion to mount it in the future.

The bear had been apart of LDWF’s black bear program and was first tagged in 2000 when it was estimated to be six years old. The passive integrated transponder implanted during the initial capture was left in the hide when the bear was skinned and provided positive identification. LDWF had never received a nuisance call about this older male bear that lived mostly in the Weeks Island area of lower Iberia Parish.

“This is a real shame that someone felt compelled to poach this bear during a time when we are trying our best to restore the Louisiana black bear to a sustainable population,” said Maria Davidson, Large Carnivore Program Manager for LDWF.

Anyone with information regarding this illegal bear killing or any other wildlife crime should call the Louisiana Operation Game Thief hotline at 1-800-442-2511. Cash rewards up to $5,000 are offered for information leading to the apprehension of individuals harming a black bear. Callers will also remain anonymous.

“We urge anybody with information about this case to come forward so that we can catch the person responsible for this crime,” said Lt. Col. Joey Broussard. “It is believed that the person that dumped these remains of the bear was scared of being caught and thus got rid of the evidence. We are hopeful that through the public’s help and our existing evidence that we can solve this case.”

The Louisiana black bear has been listed on the Federal Threatened and Endangered Species List since 1992. Citizens are reminded that killing a Louisiana black bear is a violation of both state law and the federal Endangered Species Act. Violators are subject to penalties of up to $50,000 and six months in jail. In addition, a civil restitution fine of $10,000 for the bear may be imposed on anyone convicted of killing a black bear in Louisiana.

Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives

PHOENIX --(Ammoland.com)- A federal grand jury on Wednesday returned a 25–count Superseding Indictment against Jose Sauceda–Cuevas, 31, of Sinaloa, Mexico, on a variety of gun trafficking charges.

The indictment alleges two separate Conspiracies to Make a False Statement in Connection with the Acquisition of Firearms, eight substantive counts of False Statements, five counts of Aggravated Identity Theft, five counts of Illegal Alien in Possession of a Firearm and five counts Felon in Possession of a Firearm.

This prosecution is part of a joint investigation made public in February between Homeland Security Investigations and the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives. There are four other indictments related to this matter for a total of 17 defendants charged in five separate cases involving over 300 weapons — mostly AK–47–type rifles and automatic pistols — seized here, in Mexico and in Texas. The weapons had been bought by “straw purchasers” from licensed gun stores in Arizona.

“Warring Mexican drug cartels continue to arm themselves in Arizona, and we believe this defendant was part and parcel to that effort,” said U.S. Attorney Dennis K. Burke. “This defendant orchestrated straw purchases of over 110 assault rifles and pistols in a multi–state enterprise to provide weapons for the drug war. I commend our partners at ATF and HSI for their unwavering commitment to finding and dismantling these trafficking organizations.”

“This indictment would not have been possible if not for the collaborative efforts of our law enforcement partners,” said ATF Special Agent in Charge, Thomas Brandon. “We must remain steadfast in our pursuit of these criminal trafficking organizations.”

Matt Allen, special agent in charge of ICE HSI in Arizona, added, “Weapons procurement networks are highly reliant on straw purchasers to be their pawns in buying weapons from licensed dealers, but HSI is not content to go after just the low–level foot soldiers in these organizations. As this investigation demonstrates, we are focused on moving past the foot soldiers to target those responsible for playing leadership roles in these criminal enterprises.”

The Superseding Indictment alleges that Sauceda–Cuevas gave his 19–year–old co–defendant Gerardo Chaidez–Ochoa money to purchase nine rifles in November 2009, and that Chaidez–Ochoa obtained those rifles by representing to the federal licensed gun dealer that he was the actual buyer of the firearms. Sauceda–Cuevas also asked Salvador Figueroa Resa to buy firearms, and that Resa recruited seven others to buy 35 pistols and 71 rifles during a five–month period in 2010. Resa is charged in a separate 12–count Second Superseding Indictment along with five co–defendants whom he recruited to buy firearms. Sauceda–Cuevas also purchased 12 firearms by using the identity of Alejandro Macedo and failing to reveal that he is an illegal alien and a twice–convicted felon.

A conviction for False Statement in Connection with the Acquisition of a Firearm carries a maximum penalty of five years, a $250,000 fine or both. A conviction for Making a Material False Statement in Connection with the Acquisition of a Firearm, and Illegal Alien or Felon in possession of a Firearm carries a maximum penalty of 10 years, a $250,000 fine or both. A conviction for Aggravated Identity Theft carries a mandatory penalty of two years which must be served consecutive to any prison term imposed for the felony for which the identification was used, a $250,000 fine or both. In determining an actual sentence, Judge Neil V. Wake will consult the U.S. Sentencing Guidelines, which provide appropriate sentencing ranges. The judge, however, is not bound by those guidelines in determining a sentence but must impose any mandatory minimum sentence required by statute.

An indictment is simply the method by which a person is charged with criminal activity and raises no inference of guilt. An individual is presumed innocent until competent evidence is presented to a jury that establishes guilt beyond a reasonable doubt.

The investigation preceding the indictment was conducted by Homeland Security Investigations and the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives. The prosecution is being handled by Lisa Jennis Settel, Assistant U.S. Attorney, District of Arizona, Phoenix.

Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives

Washington, DC --(Ammoland.com)- David B. Fein, United States Attorney for the District of Connecticut, Guy N. Thomas, Special Agent in Charge of the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives, Boston Field Division, and Robert Nivakoff, Chief of the Stamford Police, today announced that 16 individuals have been charged with various federal offenses related to the alleged trafficking of firearms, including machine guns, and narcotics in southwestern Connecticut.

More than 100 firearms have been purchased or seized during the investigation.

On May 10, a federal grand jury sitting in New Haven returned a 20-count indictment charging a total of 15 individuals. The indictment was unsealed following the arrest of 13 defendants today. One individual also was arrested on a federal criminal complaint. Two of the defendants are in state custody on unrelated charges.

“I want to commend all of the law enforcement officers involved in this investigation,” stated U.S. Attorney Fein. “Their coordinated efforts both today and over the past several months have removed scores of dangerous weapons from the streets, disrupting what we allege to be a significant gun trafficking network.”

“We believe that ATF’s collaborative work with Stamford Police Department and our other law enforcement partners in this complex investigation, culminating in today’s safely executed operations, will have a significant impact on reducing violence and improving the quality of life for residents of Stamford and surrounding communities, stated ATF Special Agent in Charge Thomas.”

“I want to thank the ATF, DEA, U.S. Marshals Service, Bridgeport Police, Norwalk Police and the Connecticut Department of Correction for their work during this investigation, which has taken many dangerous heavy weapons out of the wrong hands,” stated Stamford Police Chief Nivakoff. “We’re proud to have been involved in this operation, which now includes the largest seizure of firearms in the history of the Stamford Police Department.”

The indictment and today’s arrests represent the culmination of a long-term joint investigation conducted by the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives, the Drug Enforcement Administration, the United States Marshals Service, the Stamford Police Department, the Bridgeport Police Department, the Norwalk Police Department and the Connecticut Department of Correction. The investigation was funded in significant part by the United States Attorney’s Office Organized Crime Drug Enforcement Task Force and supported by the Office’s Project Safe Neighborhoods and Anti-Gang programs.

The indictment alleges that, on multiple occasions beginning in approximately July 2010, PATRICK UZAR of Stamford acquired firearms from relatives, as well as fellow members and associates of the Stamford Chapter of the Latin Kings, sold the firearms to a third party and distributed some of the sale proceeds to members of the conspiracy. The indictment further alleges that UZAR and others also were involved in the distribution of cocaine and Ecstasy.

During the investigation, law enforcement acquired several firearms, including machine guns, through controlled purchases. Today, in association with the arrest of the defendants, law enforcement officers executed multiple federal search warrants and seized dozens of firearms, ammunition, firearm parts and related material.

Charged in the indictment are:

• PATRICK UZAR, aka “Pistol” and “Pepe,” 24, of Lafayette Street, Stamford;
• CHRISTIAN ANDRE ALIAGA, aka “Frost,” 29, of Cove Road, Stamford;
• JAMES BLACKBURN, aka “Mar” and “Mars,” 24, incarcerated in state custody;
• ALFRED BROWN, aka “Viddy,” 27, incarcerated in state custody;
• AGUSTIN CRESPO, aka “Auggie” and “Warlord,” 34, of Spruce Street, Stamford;
• JOHN DAVIS, aka “Silk,” 25, of Haig Avenue, Stamford;
• LOUIS FELICIANO, aka “Cano,” 25, of Pepper Ridge Road, Stamford;
• KEVIN GOULBOURNE, aka “Kev,” 38, of Lockwood Avenue, Stamford;
• ANALISA MARTINEZ, aka “Lisa,” 28, of Spruce Street, Stamford;
• WILLIE NIEVES, aka “Willo” and “Flaco V,” 47, of West Broad Street, Stamford;
• JEFFREY NUNEZ, aka “J Free” and “Brother Jeff,” 27, of E. Main Street, Stamford;
• RODOLFO REVELLO, aka “Rudy,” 38 of Unity Road, Trumbull;
• ANTHONY UZAR, SR., 49, of Lafayette Street, Stamford;
• GEORGE UZAR, SR., 47, of Granite Drive, Norwalk;
• SANTOS ZAMBRANA, aka “Tos,” “Inca” and “Pres,” 24, of Montauk Drive, Stamford.

In addition, ANTHONY UZAR, JR., 28, of Frederick Street, Stamford, was arrested today on a federal criminal complaint charging him with possession of firearm and ammunition by a previously convicted felon.

The Indictment charges PATRICK UZAR and GEORGE UZAR, SR. with one count of conspiracy to sell machine guns and four counts of possession and transfer of machine guns. If convicted, each defendant faces a maximum term of imprisonment of five years and a fine of up to $250,000 on the conspiracy charge, and a maximum term of imprisonment of 10 years and a fine of up to $250,000 on each of the possession and transfers charges.

PATRICK UZAR, GOULBOURNE, ZAMBRANA, DAVIS, BLACKBURN and ANTHONY UZAR, SR. are each charged with one count of conspiracy to engage in illegal firearms dealing and one count of illegal firearms dealing. Both of these charges carry a maximum term of imprisonment of five years and a fine of up to $250,000.

GOULBOURNE and BLACKBURN are each charged with one count of possession of a firearm by a previously convicted felon. If convicted of this charge, each defendant faces a maximum term of imprisonment of 10 years and a fine of to $250,000.

PATRICK UZAR, CRESPO, REVELLO and FELICIANO are charged with conspiring to distribute and to possess with intent to distribute 500 grams or more of cocaine. If convicted of this charge, each defendant faces a mandatory minimum term of imprisonment of five years, a maximum term of imprisonment of 40 years and a fine of up to $2 million. The indictment also charges PATRICK UZAR with four counts and CRESPO with two counts of possession with intent to distribute cocaine. UZAR is charged in one of these counts with possession with intent to distribute cocaine and MDMA (“Ecstasy”). This charge carries a maximum term of imprisonment of 20 years and a fine of up to $1 million, on each count.

PATRICK UZAR, BROWN and NUNEZ are charged with conspiring to distribute and to possess with intent to distribute MDMA (“Ecstasy”). If convicted of this charge, each defendant faces a maximum term of imprisonment of 20 years and a fine of up to $1 million.

Finally, MARTINEZ, NIEVES and ALIAGA are each charged with one count of using a telephone to facilitate a drug trafficking offense, which carries a maximum term of imprisonment of four years and a fine of up to $250,000.

U.S. Attorney Fein stressed that the charges are not evidence of guilt. The charges are only allegations, and the defendants are presumed innocent unless and until proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt.

This matter is being prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorneys Anthony E. Kaplan and Marc H. Silverman.

National Rifle Association

FAIRFAX, Va. --(Ammoland.com)- According to the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms, and Explosives, the Project Gunrunner program was intended to stop the alleged flow of guns to criminals in Mexico.

That didn’t happen. Instead, the program may have facilitated the illegal smuggling of thousands of those guns, some of which actually turned up at the murder scene of a U.S. Border Patrol agent in December 2010.

As the probe into Project Gunrunner heats up, the House Committee on Oversight and Government Reform and the Senate Judiciary Committee want to determine if high-ranking officials in the Department of Justice knew about and approved Project Gunrunner. To that end, this week, U.S. Attorney General Eric Holder was called to testify before both committees.

When questioned by Sen. Charles Grassley (R-Iowa) on Wednesday, Holder said that he does not know how guns allowed to “walk” during the federal gun sting operation ended up at the U.S. Border Patrol agent’s murder scene. “I frankly don’t know,” Holder said.

When Grassley asked the whereabouts of the estimated 1,300 — 1,500 guns that BATFE allowed “straw purchasers” to buy (even after suspecting they were working for Mexican drug cartels), Holder again could not answer. “I’m not in a position at this time to answer that question,” Holder said. “I don’t know.”

The day before, Holder faced questioning by Rep. Darrell Issa (R-Calif.) during the House Judiciary Committee hearings.

During the exchange between Issa and Holder on Tuesday, Rep. Issa did not mince words:

“We’re not looking at straw buyers, Mr. Attorney General, we’re looking at you. We’re looking at your key people who knew or should have known about this and whether or not your judgment was consistent with good practices and whether or not, instead, the Justice Department is basically guilty of allowing weapons to kill Americans and Mexicans. So will you agree to cooperate with that investigation, both on the House and Senate side?”

Sen. Grassley and Rep. Issa feel that Holder and the Department of Justice are deliberately stonewalling thier investigation.

“I am extremely disappointed in the Justice Department’s response to my inquiry,” Grassley said Wednesday. “The ATF also clearly knew that these guns were being exported south of the border to Mexico.”

During his speech at Saturday’s Annual Meeting of Members in Pittsburgh, NRA Executive Vice President Wayne LaPierre had this to say about Holder’s role:

“Eric Holder said he didn’t know about the operation. He’s the U.S. Attorney General. He’s supposed to be in charge, and he didn’t know? Who’s minding the store over at the Justice Department? Because if Holder didn’t know, Holder’s got to go.”

About:
Established in 1871, the National Rifle Association is America’s oldest civil rights and sportsmen’s group. Four million members strong, NRA continues its mission to uphold Second Amendment rights and to advocate enforcement of existing laws against violent offenders to reduce crime. The Association remains the nation’s leader in firearm education and training for law-abiding gun owners, law enforcement and the military. Visit: www.nra.org

Inside One-Eleven GunShop.

Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives

JEFFERSONTOWN, Ky. --(Ammoland.com)- Special Agent in Charge Paul J. Vido of the Louisville Field Division, Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives (ATF) and Chief Rick Sanders, Jeffersontown Police Department, today announced that ATF is offering a reward of up to $2,500 for information leading to the arrest and conviction of the persons responsible for the theft of firearms that occurred at 111 Gun Shop, a federal firearms licensee, in Jeffersontown.

The burglary occurred on April 26.

“Firearms theft from licensed gun dealers is a top priority for ATF. Experience shows us that these guns will likely end up being used in a crime. These guns in the hands of criminals endanger everyone’s safety.

With this reward, it is ATF’s hope that someone will come forward with information that will lead to the arrest of the suspects responsible,” said Vido.

ATF and the Jeffersontown Police Department are seeking the public’s assistance in identifying those responsible. Anyone with information is encouraged to call ATF at (502) 753-3450 or the Jeffersontown Police Department at (502) 267-0503. Callers can also call the ATF Hotline at 1-800-ATF-GUNS (800-283-4867). All calls will be kept confidential.

More information about ATF and its programs is available at www.atf.gov.

Gun Talk Radio

MANDEVILLE, LA --(Ammoland.com)- It’s a U.S. Senator, a Veterans’ sporting foundation, and more, this Sunday on Tom Gresham’s Gun Talk (R) Radio, the nationally-syndicated radio talk show about guns and the shooting sports.

U.S. Senator Chuck Grassley, R-Iowa, has written an article for The State Column about the allegations from the ATF whistleblowers on “Project Gunrunner”, and has introduced legislation, Senate Bill 586, to protect whistleblowers, like the ATF agents, from retribution.

The RMR (Ruggedized Miniature Reflex) sight has been a runaway success for Trijicon, Inc. Andrew Chilkiewicz is here to talk about why the RMR is so popular, its versatility for military, law enforcement and hunters alike, and what changes Trijicon has made to their website.

Johnny Dury, of Dury’s Gun Shop in San Antonio, TX is here with an update on the GT 10, as well as some reasons why you should go visit Durys – including a great selection of estate guns, training classes and gunsmithing.

While Brownells is known for having hundreds of products, ranging from magazines to gun cleaning kits, grips to rifle parts, they also offer a variety of training courses at Brownells Training Group. Frank Brownell stops by to talk training, the Do It Yourself gunsmith kits, and more.

Honored American Veterans Afield, an organization that gets disabled combat veterans back into normal life by sponsoring different shooting events, has two new documentaries about U.S. soldiers available on their website. HAVA’s director, Tom Taylor, is here to talk about the organization and the two DVDs: “Shepherds of Hemland” and “This Is War”.

Charter Firearms’ Nick Ecker drops in to discuss the Heller Commemorative .44 Bulldog that will be for sale at the NRA Annual Meetings in Pittsburgh from April 29-May 1. Charter Arms will also have a display of the evolution of Charter Arms throughout the years.

About:
Tom Gresham’s Gun Talk Radio is in its 16th year of national syndication, Gun Talk Radio airs live on Sundays from 2PM-5PM Eastern, and runs on 101 stations, plus SIRIUS XM Satellite Radio. All Gun Talk shows can be downloaded as podcasts through Apple iTunes, the Gun Talk iPhone App, the Blackberry Podcast App, or at www.guntalk.libsyn.com. More information is available at www.guntalk.com.

Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives

DALLAS, TX --(Ammoland.com)- DALLAS – A federal grand jury in Dallas has charged three local men with various federal firearms offenses related to their scheme to illegally acquire firearms they intended to transfer to others, announced U.S. Attorney James T. Jacks of the Northern District of Texas.

The three defendants, Ranferi Osorio, 27, and his brother, Otilio Osorio, 22, and Kelvin Leon Morrison, 25, have been in custody since their arrest on Feb. 28, 2011, by agents with the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives (ATF), and other state and local agencies, on charges in related criminal complaints.

The six-count indictment, returned today, charges each defendant with one count of conspiracy to acquire a firearm from a licensed dealer by false or fictitious statement and four substantive counts of that offense. It also charges Ranferi and Otilio Osorio with one count of possessing a firearm with an obliterated serial number.

According to the indictment, if a person buys a firearm for someone else but claims that he or she is the actual transferee/buyer of the listed firearm(s), the firearm acquisition is called a “straw purchase” and the conduct is called “lying and buying.” The indictment alleges that beginning in July 2010 and continuing through at least Nov. 2010, the defendants made false statements to a licensed dealer to illegally procure at least 10 firearms, that they intended to transfer to others. Together they formulated a plan that included selecting the licensed dealers and the types of firearms to be purchased and acquiring the firearms from those dealers by making false statements intended to deceive the firearm dealer.

The indictment also alleges that on Nov. 9, 2010, the Osorio brothers knowingly possessed 12 Romarm, Model Draco, 7.62×39 caliber pistols which had the serial numbers obliterated.

An indictment is an accusation by a federal grand jury, and a defendant is entitled to the presumption of innocence unless proven guilty. However, if convicted, each count of acquiring a firearm from a licensed dealer by making a false or fictitious statement carries a maximum statutory sentence of 10 years in prison and a $250,000 fine. Upon conviction, the conspiracy count and the possession of a firearm with a removed or obliterated serial number, each carry a maximum statutory sentence of five years in prison and a $250,000 fine.

The ongoing investigation is being conducted by the ATF, DEA, FBI, U.S. Immigrations and Customs Enforcement – Homeland Security Investigations and the Lancaster, Texas, Police Department. Deputy Criminal Chief Assistant U.S. Attorney Gary Tromblay is in charge of the prosecution.

Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives

PHOENIX, AZ --(Ammoland.com)- The United States Attorney’s Office District of Arizona announced today that 49 defendants will be facing federal firearms and drug trafficking offenses as part of a nine–month undercover operation at a west–Valley secondhand shop.

The Arizona Attorney General’s Office is expected to charge an additional 54 defendants on related state drug and firearms charges as part of the same investigation, dubbed “Operation 602 Exchange.”

A multi–agency law enforcement task force led by the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives and the Phoenix Police Department, with assistance from the U.S. Marshall’s Service, began arresting suspects in the case early last week. Over its duration, the Operation resulted in the seizure of 223 weapons – including handguns, assault rifles, rifles and sawed–off shotguns, many of them stolen. Agents and officers also seized narcotics, including methamphetamine, “crack” and powder cocaine, prescription medications, marijuana and heroin.

ATF agents and a detective from Phoenix PD culminated the nine–month investigation in January. The agents operated a secondhand merchandise store dealing in military supplies and used electronics, where they purchased guns and narcotics from individuals who came into the store. As with previous successful ATF investigations in other states, the store was equipped with electronic surveillance equipment to capture all of the transactions.

“This operation sends a clear message to criminals: If you endanger the public by trafficking firearms and drugs in our communities, we are coming after you,” said U.S. Attorney Dennis Burke. “When federal, state and local authorities team to fight gun and drug trafficking, your neighborhood is safer. I commend the ATF and the Phoenix Police Department for the incredible work they have done in this highly complex undercover operation and for taking these defendants, their guns and illegal drugs off of our streets.”

Burke added that more defendants could be added to the total, and there are other ongoing investigations that spawned from the operation.

Arizona Attorney General Tom Horne said, “I am committed as Attorney General to making sure that the state charges in this matter are pursued as vigorously as possible. The criminal predators who are trafficking in drugs and weapons are a clear and present danger to our community and their activities – no matter how complex – are not beyond the reach of law enforcement. Criminals are put on notice that no matter how relentless they are in pursuit of their criminal objectives, the Attorney General’s Office, working with the men and women of law enforcement, will be even more dedicated to putting them behind bars. I want to especially thank the ATF and Phoenix Police Department for their hard work on this investigation and I am confident the US Attorney’s Office will be tenacious in its prosecution of the federal charges.”

“ATF”" Special Agent in Charge, William Newell added, “This joint operation with the Phoenix Police Department is clear evidence of ATF’s continued commitment to proactively address the threat of firearms related crime in communities across the country with our State and Local law enforcement partners. We also truly appreciate the support from the U.S. Attorney and Arizona Attorney General in prosecuting these cases.”"

“”The Phoenix Police Department is committed to aggressively targeting those individuals who traffic in drugs and guns in our community,” said Acting Police Chief Joseph Yahner, Phoenix Police Department. “Working with our state and federal partners, we are able to expand our ability to truly bring these criminals to justice. This cooperative effort has resulted in charges on over one hundred suspects, which will result in the prevention of numerous other crimes.”"

“Several of the defendants charged included felons previously convicted of crimes such as negligent homicide, kidnapping, child abuse, aggravated assault, and other violent crimes and narcotics offenses. The defendants also include several aliens illegally present in the United States.”

“Individuals were indicted in Operation 602 Exchange on a total of 160 charges that included: Possession of a firearm in furtherance of a drug trafficking crime (5 counts), felon in possession of firearms and ammunition (48 counts), conspiracy to possess narcotics with intent to distribute (24 counts), possession of narcotics with intent to distribute (66 counts), possession of unregistered firearms (7 counts), possession of stolen firearms (5 counts), possession of firearms with obliterated serial numbers (4 counts), and illegal re-entry after deportation (1 count).”

“For a list of federal defendants who have so far been charged and had their initial appearances as of press time, click here.”

“Attorneys from the U.S. Attorney’s Office District of Arizona are handling the prosecution of the cases. Assistant U.S. Attorneys Krissa Lanham and Cassie Bray Woo worked with agents during the investigation and coordinated the prosecutions.”

“Patrick Zinicola coordinated the prosecutions for the Arizona Attorney General’s Office and is handling the prosecution of the cases for the Arizona Attorney General’s Office.”

Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives

NEWARK, NJ --(Ammoland.com)- Cory Melvin was sentenced today to 121 months in federal prison for offenses related to his illegal possession and sale of firearms, including the sale of a machine gun in Newark, U.S. Attorney Paul J. Fishman announced.

Melvin, 36, of Newark, previously pleaded guilty to charges of unlawful transfer of a machine gun, illegally dealing in firearms, unlawful possession of 11 firearms, and conspiracy before U.S. District Court Judge Joseph A. Greenaway. The case was later reassigned to Judge Dennis M. Cavanaugh, who presided over today’s sentencing.

According to documents filed in this case and statements made in court: Melvin admitted that between September 2008 and February 2009, he, along with coconspirator Rashan Clark, sold multiple firearms on four separate occasions for profit and without a license. During this five–month period, he and Clark sold a total of 11 guns – including a machine gun, two shotguns, and eight handguns – in the city of Newark. Melvin also admitted that he possessed the firearms after having been convicted of a felony.

In addition to the prison term, Judge Cavanaugh sentenced Melvin to three years of supervised release.

Clark previously pleaded guilty to unlawful transfer of a machine gun and was sentenced to 36 months in prison by Judge Greenaway.

U.S. Attorney Fishman credited special agents of the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives, under the direction of Special Agent in Charge Matthew W. Horace, for the investigation of the case.

The government is represented by Assistant U.S. Attorneys Sarah Wolfe and John E. Clabby of the U.S. Attorney’s Office Criminal Division in Trenton.

U.S. Department of Justice

Greenbelt, Maryland –-(Ammoland.com)- A federal jury convicted Chinua Shepperson, a/k/a “Nu,” “NuNu” and “King Nu,” age 28, of Washington, D.C. late yesterday of conspiracy to participate in a racketeering enterprise known as the Almighty Latin King and Queen Nation (Latin Kings), murder in aid of racketeering, robbery, using a gun during a crime of violence and murder resulting from use of a gun during a crime of violence.

The conviction was announced by United States Attorney for the District of Maryland Rod J. Rosenstein; Assistant Attorney General Lanny A Breuer, of the Department of Justice Criminal Division; Special Agent in Charge Theresa R. Stoop of the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives – Baltimore Field Division; Chief J. Thomas Manger of the Montgomery County Police Department; Montgomery County State’s Attorney John McCarthy; Interim Chief Mark Magaw of the Prince George’s County Police Department; and Prince George’s County State’s Attorney Angela Also brooks.

U.S. Attorney Rod J. Rosenstein said, “Chinua Shepperson robbed and murdered a Hyattsville man, and participated in an armed robbery in order to further his position in the Latin Kings. The strategy of combining the resources and intelligence of local, state and federal law enforcement agencies to pursue federal racketeering charges against criminal gangs is proving effective in removing violent offenders from the streets and making our neighborhoods more safe.”

“The Latin Kings is a brutal gang that uses violence to achieve its ends,” said Assistant Attorney General Breuer. “With Mr. Shepperson’s conviction, all 19 defendants charged in this investigation have been held to account. Our deliberate approach to prosecuting the Latin Kings and other gangs is taking violent offenders off our streets, and working to make our communities safer.”

“The ATF RAGE Task Force built a strong case against the Latin Kings through tireless police work documenting the criminal acts of the defendants and the RICO enterprise,” says ATF Special Agent in Charge Theresa Stoop. “The jury heard the facts of the investigation, including the violence perpetrated by Shepperson and the Latin Kings. The success of this investigation shows the effectiveness of the criminal justice system, and how hard ATF works to combat gang violence.”

The Latin Kings is a violent street gang with thousands of members across the country and overseas. The Latin Kings have a detailed and uniform organizational structure, which is outlined – along with various “prayers,” codes of behavior and rituals – in a written “manifesto” widely distributed to members throughout the country. Members of the Latin Kings are also traditionally given “King Names” or “Queen Names,” which are names other than their legal names, by which they are known to members of the gang and to others on the street. At the local level, groups of Latin Kings are organized into “tribes,” including, the Royal Lion Tribe, MOG, Sun Tribe and UTL.

Latin Kings members to engage in gang activities from a date unknown until November 2009. In furtherance of the conspiracy, Shepperson and other gang members participated in the armed robbery of a prostitute at a motel in Laurel, Maryland on December 14, 2007. Shepperson also conspired with other gang members to rob and murder John Realpe Montoya. On April 25, 2008 Shepperson robbed John Realpe Montoya of cocaine and fatally shot him behind the Marylander Condominiums in Langely Park, Maryland.

All 18 co-defendants previously pleaded guilty to the racketeering conspiracy. Shepperson faces a maximum sentence of life in prison. U.S. District Judge Alexander Williams scheduled sentencing for June 17, 2011 at 9:30 a.m.

Mr. Rosenstein and Mr. Breuer thanked the ATF–led RAGE Task Force, including the Gaithersburg Police Department; the Montgomery County Police Department; Montgomery County State’s Attorney’s Office; Prince George’s County Police Department; Prince George’s County State’s Attorney’s Office; the Montgomery County Sheriff’s Office, the Maryland National Capital Park Police – Prince George’s County Division; and the Maryland State Police; as well as, the New York Police Department; the U.S. Secret Service, and the Internal Revenue Service – Criminal Investigation, for their assistance in this investigation and prosecution.

United States Attorney Rod J. Rosenstein commended Assistant United States Attoneys Emily Glatfelter and David Salem, and Lara M. Peirce, a Trial Attorney with the Criminal Division’s Gang Unit, who are prosecuting the case.

Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives

HARRISONBURG, VIRGINIA --(Ammoland.com)- The former owner of a Front Royal pawn shop pled guilty this morning in the United States District Court for the Western District of Virginia in Charlottesville to charges related to the illegal sale of firearms.

Don Francis Simonpietri, 64, of Front Royal, Virginia, pled guilty this morning to one count of selling firearms without a license and one count of knowingly selling a firearm to a previously convicted felon. As part of his plea agreement, the defendant has agreed to forfeit more than 1,100 guns to the United States. The maximum penalty faced by the defendant at sentencing is 10 years in prison and a period of supervised release thereafter.

Today in District Court, Simonpietri admitted that after losing his Federal Firearms License in 2005, he continued to engage in the business of selling firearms, often selling guns at a local flea market. He also admitted to selling a firearm to a person he knew, or should have known, was a previously convicted felon.

The charges were brought following a lengthy investigation by local law enforcement in which a series of undercover gun purchases were made directly from Mr. Simonpietri, or his codefendant, Charles Shipe.

The investigation of the case was conducted by the Front Royal Police Department, the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives, the Warren County Sheriff’s Office, the Virginia State Police, the Warren County Commonwealth Attorney’s Office and the Northwest Virginia Regional Drug Task Force. Assistant United States Ronald Huber prosecuted the case for the United States.

Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives

Washington, DC --(Ammoland.com)- (HOUSTON) – An American husband and his Colombian wife have been arrested and charged with smuggling firearms to Colombia, United States Attorney José Angel Moreno announced today, along with Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives (ATF) Special Agent in Charge Dewey Webb and Homeland Security Investigations (ICE-HSI) Special Agent in Charge Robert Rutt.

ATF and HSI agents executed arrests warrants on Tuesday, March 8, 2011, which issued following the filing of sealed criminal complaints charging Patrick Regan, 40, and his Colombian-born wife, Ximena del Pilar Echeverry Arias, 25, with conspiracy, smuggling goods from the United States and possession of a firearm with an obliterated serial number in violation of Title 18, United States Code, Sections 371, 554, and 922(k), respectively. The criminal complaints were unsealed today.

Both defendants have made their initial appearances before U.S. Magistrate Judge Nancy Johnson and have been ordered to remain in federal custody pending preliminary examination and detention hearings set for Friday, March 11, 2011, at 2:00 p.m.

“Firearms trafficking empowers terrorists, insurgents and violent gangs to murder, intimidate and control lawabiding people in many countries, including our closest democratic neighbors and friends in North, Central and South America,” said Moreno. “We must and will do everything in our collective power to deny firearms to those who use them to destroy innocent human life and to undermine democratic governance itself. This investigation shows how, through interagency and international coordination, we can begin to regain control over what has become an international problem.”

According to allegations in the criminal complaints, in October 2010, an investigation into the alleged illegal export by Regan of firearms to Colombia was initiated by the ATF. During the course of the investigation, ATF and HSI, working jointly, learned that Regan had acquired an unusually large number of firearms and related equipment beginning in or about October 2009 and had been receiving substantial sums of money via wire transfer from banks in Colombia. The results of the joint investigative effort led to the accusations that Regan made false statements to federally licensed firearms dealers to obtain firearms, obliterated the serial numbers on the firearms and, together with Arias, unlawfully exported the firearms to Colombia.

On Dec. 8, 2010, according to the complaints, agents saw Regan and Arias ship numerous boxes addressed to recipients in Colombia. An examination of those boxes and their shipping labels resulted in a determination that the name of the addressee was fictitious, the shipping address was an abandoned residence in Colombia, the shipper’s name and address were fictitious and the description of the content of the packages identified as machine castings or pressure washers was also false. The boxes actually contained 16 firearms, including eight Fabrique-Nationale Herstal, model Five-seven, 5.7 x 28mm caliber pistols and eight Double Star, model STAR-15, 5.56mm caliber complete lower receivers. The lower receivers are components of AR-15 style semiautomatic rifles which are similar in appearance to the U.S. military’s M-4 rifle. Each firearm had its serial number obliterated.

Agents intercepted two subsequent firearms shipments allegedly made by Regan to Colombian addresses. The first shipment intercepted on Dec. 16, 2010, included three Rock River Arms, model LAR-15, 5.56mm caliber lower receivers. The second shipment intercepted on March 2, 2011, included 15 Surplus Ammo & Arms, model LOW15, 5.56mm caliber lower receivers. Each lower receiver, which is in itself considered a firearm for regulatory purposes, had its serial number removed.

The complaints further allege that records obtained during the investigation showed Arias, while living in Colombia, had allegedly signed for 12 of the 67 similarly suspicious packages addressed to her home and wiretransferred more than $39,000 from a bank in Colombia to Regan’s account in the United States over the course of multiple transactions.

Concomitant with the arrests, ATF and HSI agents executed a number of search warrants including one at Regan’s Houston area residence which resulted in the discovery and seizure of 50 additional lower and 13 upper receivers for AR-15 style semi-automatic rifles, an unregistered fully assembled short-barrel AR-15 rifle, two pieces of metal working machinery and 13 AR-15 style lower receivers in varying stages of manufacture.

“It is an ATF priority to interdict the trafficking of firearms out of the country,” said Webb. “We work hand in hand with ICE-HSI to keep these firearms out of the hands of criminals.”"

“”HSI is committed to working with ATF and international law enforcement partners to combat the illegal export of weapons from the U.S.,” added Rutt. “The prosecution of weapons smugglers is a priority as we attempt to secure our borders in both directions.”"

“In close collaboration with ATF and Department of Homeland Security liaison personnel stationed at the United States Embassy in Bogota, Colombia, investigating agents passed on valuable leads to the Colombian National Police who conducted several searches in Colombia timed to coincide with the arrests in the United States. Thus far, Colombian National Police have arrested three in Colombia and dismantled a workshop where firearms were being assembled from the lower receivers Regan and Arias allegedly supplied and other essential components. Also seized were: approximately $10,000 in cash, a computer and firearms stocks. The Colombian National Police are still pursuing leads developed from this joint ATF’HSI investigation. Conspiracy carries a maximum statutory punishment of five years imprisonment and a $250,000 fine upon conviction. Each of the alleged firearms violations – false statements to acquire a firearm, possession of a firearm with an obliterated serial number and unlawful exportation of a firearm – carries statutory maximum punishment ranges of 10 years and a $250,000 fine each.”

“The ATF and HSI conducted this investigation with the assistance of the United States Embassy, Bogota, Colombia, the Colombian National Police and the Houston Police Department. Assistant U.S. Attorney Mark W. White III is prosecuting the case.”

“A criminal complaint is an accusation of criminal conduct, not evidence. A defendant is presumed innocent unless convicted through due process of law.”