Posted on 03/03/2006 10:30:50 PM PST by Travis McGee
Angel Shamaya, founder of KeepAndBearArms.com is in jail in Michigan, having been arrested for possession of firearms not properly registered under Michigan law.
Angel's friends are working to help him with this problem, but we need your help, right now!
We need character references from you for Angel. There is a form letter for you to fill out and send back at: http://www.marbut.com/angel.
Be advised that Angel's problem is happening in the Detroit area, where a strong anti-gun sentiment exists in the criminal justice system. So, we are asking you to downplay gun-rights and gun-related comments. We will NOT deliver to the court any disparaging letters about Michigan or Michigan laws. Stay on the high ground.
Please, download a copy of the draft letter. Add one sentence of personal comment if you wish - no more.
This is for upstanding, legitimate citizens only. So, we want you to add your name, mail address, and phone number to the letter, so the judge seeing these will accept your letter and will not think you are some flake.
You may email your completed letter, either as an attached MSWord (.doc) file, or pasted into the body of your email, either to newslinks@keepandbeararms.com or to mssa@mtssa.org. So we can pick it out from our many other emails, PLEASE make the SUBJECT of your email: "Angel reference." We will see that these letters get to Angel's attorney ASAP.
Please pass this on to your friends for action. We need letters from everyone who knows or knows of, and appreciates Angel.
Thanks loads for your help.
Gary Marbut, President Montana Shooting Sports Association http://www.mtssa.org author, Gun Laws of Montana http://www.mtpublish.com
Personal note from David Codrea: I spoke with Angel at length last night, before this happened. He is a great patriot and friend. WarOnGuns visitors: I have never really asked you for anything. I am pleading with you to support our brother in his time of need. I will be monitoring things as they unfold--if and when we need to help Angel with more than words, I will let you know.
Please do this support letter now--and please spread this news far and wide.
More from Nicki Fellenzer:
Folks, most of you know how decent, passionate, intelligent and dynamic Angel Shamaya is. He has committed himself to freedom, and I know of few people who are as dedicated to the cause of freedom as Angel. He is also a personal friend to many of us, and now he needs our help.
Today he was arrested, and he is currently in jail. Please read the link below and take a few minutes to write the judge on his behalf. I have National Drill this weekend, and I'm sending this from my hotel room. I won't be around much until Sunday night, but I'm counting on you guys to spread the news and help Angel through this. Please!
http://www.keepandbeararms.com/nicki/Angel.htm
The link includes an address where to send your letters of reference. Please do so as quickly as you can!
Then, I urge you to pass this email to everyone you know. Post it on your websites and blogs, pass it on to fellow bloggers and help us ensure that this gets the widest possible dissemination. Yes, this is about freedom -- but right now, we need to ensure he is, first and foremost, released and that charges are dismissed, so please toe the line on this one. For Angel.
Thanks!
Nicki Fellenzer
UPDATE: I just got off the phone with the Oakland County Sheriff to see if I could help in any way with bail. Unfortunately, the attendant told me Angel has not been arraigned yet, so there is no public information they can share, and that the best thing to do would be to call back tomorrow night. I told the deputy he had a good man in custody and to please see to it that Angel was safe.
Bttt
I guess a donation to SAF might be the best way to help now.
Comment by: Angel Shamaya (3/4/2006)
"not even a hint about what this is all about."
Need rest first. "What you say can and will be used against you in a court of law." Patience, please? Just spent too much time in mini hell. OK?
"...but now I know that he is a convicted felon..."
Who said I am a convicted felon? Where? (Not!)
More later. Need sleep. Much is happening. If justice exists in Michigan, I shall prevail. This legal battle was brought to my doorstep, literally. I didn't go looking for this. But I will have my say in court before it's done. Vindictive, dishonest, disturbed people risked having me killed by local machinegunners in Kevlar who looked like part of the ground assault team at Waco. If that makes you happy, don't help me.
--AS
http://keepandbeararms.com/news/nl/read_comments.asp?nl=55265605632933&tmpD=03%2F04%2F2006
Roger that. With a note attached stating why the donation is coming.
Latest info:
Gary Marbut/MSSA/TOS/BIT
11:18 am (3 minutes ago)
Dear Friends of Angel,
So many of you have asked for updates about Angel's situation, and I
am sooo swamped dealing with this situation, that the only way I
could hope to keep you informed is to add you all to a general email
list - my "Friends of Angel" list. That's why you are getting this email.
The information I broadcast here will be somewhat generic, because I
must consider it to be in the public domain.
Angel moved to Michigan to be close to his son, a very high priority
in his life.
Because of a malicious complaint (my opinion) that Angel was
dangerous and had unregistered guns, a SWAT team raided his domicile
yesterday. I was tagged to be something of a nexus in the recovery
effort partly because I was on the phone with Angel when the SWAT
team showed up at his door, partly because I'm also a friend of
Angel's, and partly because of the curse or blessing of my
get-it-handled-now personality.
As soon as I knew that Angel was in jail, I called Alan Gottlieb of
SAF to get a referral for a local attorney. I found one from the SAF
list who had his cell number on his office answering machine, and who
answered his cell phone promptly, a bit after 5 PM CST. This
attorney got after Angel's situation immediately, and I phoned Nicki
of KeepAndBearArms.com next to hatch a plan to get the word out and
start the reference letters coming. These letters will be delivered
to Angel's attorney electronically, Monday morning.
Today, an associate of the attorney I contacted yesterday appeared to
represent Angel at the arraignment, and got him sprung from jail on a
bond (the bond was not steep). I was out of the loop in the middle
part of the day today because it was the scheduled Annual Meeting for
MSSA in our State Capitol, Helena, Montana (yes, thank you, I am
still president).
I talked to Angel on the phone within 20 minutes of his release (and
several times since). Of course, he's angry, frustrated, bummed, and
distraught - who wouldn't be under these circumstances? But, he's coping.
Angel has an immediate need of protection from the consequences of
any more malicious police reports. We're working with some Michigan
folks to provide Angel with company to document his whereabouts and
activity until this is resolved. If you know anyone in Michigan
(Detroit/Pontiac area) who might help with this, let me know.
We are also sketching out a fundraising plan for legal expenses that
should come together within about 48 hours. Stay tuned for more about this.
In the mean time, Angel is facing four misdemeanor charges, three of
which are for guns that were not yet registered properly under
Michigan law, but which Angel was in the process of trying to get
registered. Bad timing and a malicious complaint - what can I say.
But, I believe, your many and kind letters will help establish with
the court that Angel is an upstanding guy.
Thanks loads for your concerns, your help, and your many offers to
help more. I'm sure Angel would want me to go heavy on thanks to you too.
I am scheduled to teach the second day of a two-day precision riflery
class tomorrow, and will be out of the loop all afternoon. Other
than that period, I will keep you updated as new and significant
information becomes available.
Best wishes.
Gary Marbut, president
Montana Shooting Sports Association
http://www.mtssa.org
author, Gun Laws of Montana
http://www.mtpublish.com"
Hmm... Any Michigan Freepers want to lend a hand?
I notice how very carefuly there is no mention of who filed the original complaint.
LOL!!
They rolled a TAC team to serve a misdemeanor. Nice I am very surprised that this one didn't end in flames
To borrow a turn of phrase from Jeff Foxworthy:
"If you hate guns, but are willing to sic a SWAT team on someone who pissed you off, you just might be a liberal."
Michigan law requires registration of all handguns, and payment of a fee, under the guise of a "safety inspection."
Of which is sounds like Angel was in the process of complying with when his ex-wife sicced the cops on him...
See the latest at 65.
If they want to "get you" they will. I personally sen a case where LOE chopped a legal shotgun just to incarcerate an outspoken honest citizen. Charges were eventually dropped and legal fees were recovered but that is not the point.
Thank you Dan.
You're fine young man.
I noticed long ago that you were an astute individual on the gun issues, when several FReepers and I met you at the Gun Policy Rights Conference in Northern Ky a few years ago.
Good to hear from you ol' buddy. I hope all is well.
Where you been?
L
I've been sickened to see how many old FReepers have left us since the neocon/RINOs over ran the site during the 2000 election.
I thought that the Bushy neocons would go away and drink their purple kool aid elsewhere after all the congressional opportunists got their way.
It seems that a lot of mindless goofs have taken the FR stage to the frustration of the serious discussion groups.
I'll stick around none-the-less.
Bless you my friend.
Sounds like I am not the only frustrated FReeper out here. There has not been a good flaming political discussion here in at least a couple of years.
Once you've said everything at least three or more times, the motivation to say it again wanes.
Sounds like he has been targetd vindictively and with the help of a law enforcement organization that has little respect for the above named documents.
Angel...we are with you and will support you in any way possible. Both monetarily and with letters of reference...and there on the ground if you ever needed us.
Sending in a machinggun-toating, flak-vested SWAT team on a misdemeanor serving indeed. Not even any homework or consideration given that he might be trying to comply with the very regulations they arrest him for. Just bringing in heavy weaponry to make sure one of the peons is not keeping a few hanguns against their wishes.
What elitist, tyranical irony...but a sick and dangerous irony that could easily have gotten Angel and anyone with him killed had he had any inclination to try and oppose their heavy-handed tactics.
Sorry I was offline all weekend and missed this as it came down.
Great to see you brother. See my post 78. God's speed and His blessings to you and yours.
I too am surprised how the passion for the 2A has seemed to wane around here.
A few weeks back, I posted a (vanity) piece entitled "Legal to Vote, Legal to Carry". I expected a good discussion and maybe some plans for grassroots activism. Nope. 40 replies, and about a third are mine.
If you're interested you should get it searching by title. If not let me know and I'll ping you with it.
I'm in Iraq now, so I only get online every few days for an hour or so.
Regards
Disclaimer: Opinions posted on Free Republic are those of the individual posters and do not necessarily represent the opinion of Free Republic or its management. All materials posted herein are protected by copyright law and the exemption for fair use of copyrighted works.