Editors Note: The following press release is directly from ATF. Regular readers of AmmoLand News know our stance on the unaccountable Federal Agency: No comment. We invite our readers to leave their hard-hitting insights in the comments below.
BOSTON – -(Ammoland.com)- An Attleboro man was convicted on Friday, Dec. 17, 2021, by a federal jury in Boston of offenses related to firearms trafficking.
Richard Philippe, 42, was convicted following a four-day jury trial of transporting firearms into Massachusetts from Georgia without a license and being a felon in possession of ammunition. U.S. District Court Chief Judge F. Dennis Saylor IV scheduled sentencing for April 4, 2022. Philippe was indicted in September 2019.
Between April and June 2019, Philippe purchased dozens of handguns from an unlicensed straw purchaser in Georgia. Philippe returned with the guns to a warehouse in Taunton where he sold them for cash.
Philippe, who had a prior felony firearms conviction in Rhode Island, had neither the lawful ability to possess firearms or ammunition nor a federal license to deal in firearms.
The investigation arose following a July 2019 undercover purchase of firearms from a long-time Brockton drug dealer, who had purchased more than a dozen firearms from Philippe and had been selling them into criminal commerce on the South Shore. The undercover operation triggered a search of Philippe’s warehouse in Taunton, which revealed Philippe’s firearm trafficking. The weapons were traced back to multiple purchases by Philippe’s associate from a pawn shop in Georgia, which specialized in selling low-cost handguns.
The charge of possessing ammunition after being convicted of a felony provides for a sentence of up to 10 years in prison, three years of supervised release and a fine of $250,000. The charge of transportation and receipt of firearms acquired outside of state of residency provides for a sentence of up to five years in prison, up to three years of supervised release and a fine of up to $250,000. Sentences are imposed by a federal district court judge based on the U.S. Sentencing Guidelines and other statutory factors.
Acting United States Attorney Nathaniel R. Mendell and James Ferguson, Special Agent in Charge of the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms & Explosives, Boston Field Division, made the announcement today. Valuable assistance was provided by the Massachusetts State Police, Brockton Police Department, Taunton Police, the Plymouth County Sheriff’s Department, the North Carolina State Highway Patrol, and the Rhode Island State Police. Assistant U.S. Attorneys Fred M. Wyshak, III and John T. McNeil of Mendell’s Organized Crime & Gang Unit, are prosecuting the case.
Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms, and Explosives
ATF is the federal law enforcement agency responsible for investigating violations of the federal firearms and explosives laws and regulations. More information about ATF and its programs can be found at www.atf.gov.
Does a felon lose his right to free speech? Why should one lose the right to defend oneself? If someone has served their time and is released from prison, they should have all rights restored. They will get guns regardless, as we see every day. Hefty sentences for crimes against persons and DA’s that actually prosecute crimes with victims would address this better than unconstitutional laws baring possession.
A well regulated militia being necessary to a free state, the RIGHT of the people to keep and bear arms SHALL NOT BE INFRINGED. The second amendment, THE law of the land. Rights are rights, unalienable from birth to death. If you are not in jail or the loony farm you have every right to keep and bear arms no matter what some illegal, unconstitutional agency like the batfe says. One day, this is going to come to blood. The batfe is a unconstitutional, illegal government entity that daily disavows their oath to the people, the nation and the constitution.… Read more »
Stupid is, as stupid does.
Just government thugs bragging about armed robbery, aggravated kidnapping, and violation of rights again.
Respectfully, there was no commerce clause at that time. There was no Constitution at that time. They had not written them, yet.
The weapons were traced back to multiple purchases by Philippe’s associate from a pawn shop in Georgia, which specialized in selling low-cost handguns. So what happened to his associate (ATF snitch) ? And exactly what did NC State Highway Patrol have to do with this ?
How was he not convicted of being a felon in possession of _firearms_ rather than or combined with possessing ammunition?
Also, being in the People’s Republic, why wasn’t he charged by AG Healy, Servant of the Public, for possessing firearms without an LTC?
Not that I agree with any of this BS.
ATFBI
Servicing OUR Nation
Precisely…NO.
It’s amazing to see so many gun owners support the acts of a criminal. He’s got a scheme going that fits exactly what the anti-gunners are saying is the problem, and many of you support his bad acts. He goes out of state, conspires to buy junk guns from a crook of a dealer, then returns the guns to MA and sells bundles of them to a drug dealer. What part of that picture is good for gun owners? Drug dealers selling guns to the mind addled clients leads to gangsters shooting up our streets. Some of you gun owners… Read more »