BATFE is watching and raiding

[cjjtulsa]

I've worked at gun stores for over 20 years and owned my own FFL/SOT for over 10. I know and have worked with a LOT of BATF agents over the years and while sure, there are more than a fair number who don't know the nuance of gun law as well as they should I can tell you that if it gets to the point of raiding a store, chances are over 99% you are the one who is in the wrong. I'm not a LEO apologist by any stretch and I agree that Federal Government shouldn't have purview over firearms at all but in my experience that's just how it is.

Look at it like this, the ATF has about 1700 agents total worldwide covering just shy of 140,000 FFL's and about another 10,000 FEL's as well as investigating major arson, alcohol and tobacco related crimes. Why would they use their comparative meager manpower resources to shut down an FFL for just the infractions listed in that article? Understand also that ATF agents can't act on their own and just go around raiding businesses. This would have to have been approved by the US Attorneys office prior to execution. There is NO WAY they would agree to pushing this over a single Krag with no 4473, a single straw sale, and a private sale on property unless there were reasonable suspicion that this dude was doing A BUNCH of other illegal stuff. Right or wrong, the USA office only approves "most bang for the buck" cases and the infractions listed, taken on their own accord, wouldn't even be considered for enforcement action let alone approved. Taken on their own, these wouldn't even get most dealers fined, it would most likely be paperwork and a sit down meeting with the head of the Jefferson City ATF office. When it all comes out in the wash, I'd be willing to bet he gets hemmed up with a bunch more charges.

To wit, a shop in Pittsburgh, PA was shut down about 5-6 years ago for essentially the same initial charges. Eventually though, the owner was tried and convicted of illegal possession and sale of unregistered NFA items, failure to complete required recordkeeping, facilitating multiple straw purchases, and attempted destruction of evidence. He actually had a whole rack of guns with a sign that said "Cash & Carry" in the store he claimed were personal property that had no paperwork at all, was selling oil filter adapters labeled outright as silencers, had an unregistered AOW (Street Sweeper) that he tried to dispose of in a dumpster WHILE ATF WAS THERE. He had been advised by an IOI during a previous inspection that the cash and carry thing was not legal and they gave him the opportunity to fix it. He outright told them that he felt that he was right in his business practice and ATF could go F themselves. Even with all of that, there was no SWAT team, no no knock warrant, just walk in and close the doors. He ended up going away for about 3-5 years.

And all that just reinforces my previous post; what, if any of those charges you cited, run afoul of our original 2nd Amendment?

All unconstitutional laws, dreamed up by politicians, and enforced by willing participants - many in what amount to unconstitutional agencies.

 

[chuter]

 

[leemozoid]

Link to LaOz biker bar shooting from July, 2021