By David Codrea
USA -(Ammoland.com)- The former owner of National Survival Store in Las Vegas alleges multiple improprieties resulting from Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives oversight, and his protracted quest for answers is stalled without an enforceable official inquiry.
Edward Mark Felix’s story is complex, ranging from allegations of being directed to allow straw purchases similarly to methods revealed from Operation Fast and Furious, to claims of stolen guns, to being squeezed out of his store, to FFL renewal irregularities, to claims of having illegal tracking devices placed on his car, and more. He has been trying to gain attention and an investigation into his claims for years, with extremely limited results and plenty of stonewalling by those who could provide the clarification he seeks, but won’t.
Getting approached by people with seemingly outrageous claims is something I regularly experience. In most cases, there’s little that can be done, as the stories are invariably subjective, long on allegations, short on documentation, and the time and resources just aren’t there for a freelancer to do all the needed digging and verification. Matters are further complicated when legal issues are involved.
That’s much of the case with the National Survival Store saga, with one important difference that could open the whole thing up for scrutiny: There is an audit trail via bank records, and those could not only open ATF practices employed in Felix’s case up for Congressional investigation, but provide further corroboration of other claims, opening the door for those with authority to start pulling threads, asking questions, and compelling answers.
How Felix lost control of his store in the first place was alluded to in one of the only media reports on his story, presented a year ago by PIX11 News.
In 2007 he foiled a supposed robbery at the store. But police wound up charging him! An eventual assault conviction (for injuring the alleged robber’s elbow with a knife) meant probation. He gave up day-to-day control of the gun shop to a woman who had become his fiancé, Julie Shields.
A key agent overseeing National Survival after control was taken from Felix was ATF’s Tommy Ho. A key question that needs to be asked concerns his authority to direct Wells Fargo Bank withhold account information from Felix. For its part, Wells Fargo isn’t talking.
A follow-on question is why a check from that account is signed by and endorser with an as-yet indecipherable complete name that appears to include “Ho.” Who is that person and what was that person’s authority to write checks on the National Survival account for what appears to be the purchase of “GUNS”?
That check was noticed by the office of Rep. Kathleen M. Rice, formally asking the FBI last July to investigate a fraud claim for the account on behalf of constituent Felix. Per Felix, the FBI declined to look into matters when he had inquired, allegedly claiming it to be a “civil” matter and further absolving itself from investigating sums under $100,000.
Rep. Kathleen M. Rice, Request FBI to Investigate a Fraud Claim on Edward Mark Felix
“I would like to obtain a Congressional hearing to review all these issues,” Felix protests. “If this is not brought to the front line, what is the purpose of justice?
The two bodies that can answer that question are the House Committee on Oversight and Government Reform, chaired by Rep. Jason Chaffetz, and the Senate Judiciary Committee, chaired by Sen. Chuck Grassley. In a way, this is déjà vu all over again, as this is how the Fast and Furious investigation began, with Mike Vanderboegh and I pressuring both bodies to open an inquiry into seemingly outrageous claims, and urging other media outlets to investigate so that they could be independently corroborated.
As with Fast and Furious, claims presented here have been vetted with proven trusted advisors knowledgeable of the situation — and of ATF inner workings — and they agree there is much to be explained.
As noted at the beginning of this report, the story is long and takes many twists. There is plenty more out there that will turn up in an internet search, but it’s also easy to get lost and overwhelmed trying to piece everything together. We’ll be looking at some other elements of this story in the near future, but for now, the desired outcome is to once more get the attention of the committees.
To that end, interested readers are asked to contact Rep. Chaffetz and Sen. Grassley with a request to look at the smoke and see if they can find what’s causing it.
Rather than filling out forms that give preferential consideration to district/state constituents, and because the work of the committees is of national interest, I’m recommending approaching the chairmen by messaging their respective social media accounts:
Your message can be as simple as “Investigate Mark Felix claims about ATF,” with a link to this report.
David Codrea is the winner of multiple journalist awards for investigating / defending the RKBA and a long-time gun rights advocate who defiantly challenges the folly of citizen disarmament.
In addition to being a field editor/columnist at GUNS Magazine and associate editor for Oath Keepers, he blogs at “The War on Guns: Notes from the Resistance,” and posts on Twitter: @dcodrea and Facebook.
Additional Documents Scans:
Timeline Wells Fargo Bank and ATF Agent Tommy Ho CONSPIRE Withhold Info From Edward Mark Felix
So this guy gets himself in trouble and is convicted of a felony. He then instead of selling the business and returning the FFL to the ATF as one is supposed to do. He then sells the license or transfers the license in his mind to some “girl” be it a fiancée or some swindler and instead of cashing out the bank account and closing up the Corp as he is also required to do and then auditing the arms and transferring them to someone with a LEGAL FFL he simply says “I am done and she is now taking… Read more »
You are wrong on selling or giving gun store rights. Mark transferred his shares over to my brother who owned the other 50%, not to the dumb bitch. The reporter never stated it correctly. She was only a person to help and she told everyone she was owner. Mark not knowing this. The key here is how did atd just transfer marks ffl number to Julie? You cant di that. We have the licesne that shows Julie and it came from ATF west Virginia license dept. My brother was the only responsible person,in ffl.
When he was convicted why didn’t he sell the store why “transfer” it to the girl friend? WAY to much here to be blatantly obvious. With my history of being Federal agent going back over 30 years I can tell you this story has far more to it then is written in the article (and the author admits it as well) This guy is shady, NOT saying the ATF is in the clear but the whole issue of gifting the business to a fiancée and the corporation now being in TX WAY to much to be on the level and… Read more »
Mark never said he transfered to Julie Shields, as you can go back and review. He was refering to Herb Munger.
They illegally transfered his ffl. We have docs on this. You cant transfer an ffl. You must get your own and then you can transfer the legal way. We have the ffl fax from W. Virgina showings marks ffl to her. We also confirmed with FBI in Melville, that no guns were purchased under marks ffl after it expired NOV 2010, but we flipped there lids when we showed invoices up to 6 month’s after it expired for assault weapons (April 2011) from RSR, Lew Horton, AWC for silencers.and others. The FBI was lied to or they to are covering… Read more »
Operation Choke Point ……
Yes Countryboy, we belive this was part of the operation choke point with gin running program. We are looking for help in 9th circuit of appeals area for an attorney to help us. We have full documentation to show bank fraud. They gave our acct away to Brian Family Partnership in Texas in Nov 10′ while we still had it open in 2011. The bank closed our account the day after the wells fargo to ATF agent tommy ho letter. You cant have 2 different companies have the same acct from the same bank. We also have a list of… Read more »
Musta’ been a bug. thanks.
My last two attempts have not been posted. I’m wondering if it’s a bug, if I’ve been banned or if AmmoLand no longer is interested in my input. Anyone else having a problem?
Gene; We always want to hear from you. Hit refresh on your pages that you left comments.
Yeah, GR, that is modern technology, for ya. It happens to me, too! I think it happens to me because I live out in the sticks where we only have satellite comms. Just when I think that my posts have been broadcast to Mars, they show up.
Corrupt politicians need corrupt enforcement officers. It explains clearly why the BATFE has been so busy during this administration. Historically, it’s telling that even the IRS kicked them out, arguably for renegade activities, questionable investigations and incompetence. Shortly thereafter, the FBI rejected them. When DHS was established after Nine-Eleven, the Department of Treasury immediately seized the day and dumped them. Their influence and authority have been growing ever since. Thank God for Charles Grassley.
anyone want to put any wager on whether the “robber” was an FBI/BATF stooge who was “set up” to do the dirt, thus provoking the store owner into defending himself? Seems that criminal charge should have been defeated easily. But if the Feds were behind it, well, they’re about as clean as the man standing behind the manure spreader.
The robber who testified in court admitted he was a gun runner and the ATF had his record sealed after they removed felons off his record, ranging from human trafficking, illegal gun possesion etc. The courts tried in transcript, get him resitution up to $50,000.00. They asked him 3 times. He could not understand english well. No grand jury, only a10yr retired civil court judge who took over the case as the criminal judge was conveniently taking a spur of tbe moment vacation.
Another outstanding report. I wonder how far this scandal goes, and why the ATF is trying its best to hide the facts? Is this another Fast and Furious? Is this another OKC?
The BATFE has been manufacturing evidence against people for years. When I was in high school, I read an article about BATFE charging a Highway Patrolman with possessing a pistol that had been modified to fire full auto, alleging that the Highway Patrolman had done the modifying. As it turned out, the Highway Patrolman’s attorney forced the BATFE lab tech to admit, in open court, that he could not get the pistol to fire full auto, until he (the lab tech) had modified the pistol. It is long past time for the BATFE, the Gun Control Act, and the National… Read more »
Everyone that is concerned about this kind of illegal collaboration between Wells Fargo and the rogue agents at ATF, should also email or call Wells Fargo corporate. Here is their contact info: https://www.wellsfargo.com/help/feedback/
As for the congress people listed in the article:
Rep. Jason Chaffetz – https://chaffetz.house.gov/
Sen. Chuck Grassley – https://www.grassley.senate.gov/
Its sad to see this type of issue go on in our country. No accountability and treason against the USA as these guns have been used by other countries to kill americans like Brian Terry the US border agent. My lives have been affected and Obama just walks away without any remorse or accountability. Blood is on Wells Fargo’s hands as they helped in conspiring with this illegal action.
I wish we had a Justice Department worthy of the name . What we have is now is a disgrace.
We do, they just forgot to add two letters to make it complete the INjustice Deptartment. There I fixed it.
Or the Department of NO Justice (DOnoJ).
The short answer will be that he will only get justice when he gains control of the U.S. Army.
The following was my message to the two Representatives:
It appears that it would be appropriate that you put your attention to the following case for investigation right now at the beginning so you do not get drug through the mud for your failure to act.
This is typical “underhanded Chicago politics”, by the insidious obama/hillary cartel, openly skirting the law to screw honest citizens trying to make a living
this “cabal” is openly making their own rules to fit their agenda while openly damaging an otherwise spotless mans reputation in their quest
to destroy the firearm industry, if you think this is bad, try a “vindictive” hitlery Clinton in that oval office, you will see much worse !!!!
and of course, with the advice and opinion of First Lady Bill.
How many major scandals from the revenooers at the ATF before it gets burned to the ground?