Posted on 05/22/2004 4:54:17 PM PDT by TERMINATTOR
RENO, Nev. (AP) - Federal agents working undercover at gun shows in Nevada the past year have arrested 14 suspects on a variety of firearms charges that include illegally possessing machine guns and explosives, agents said Friday.
The FBI, Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives and local law enforcement agencies joined to apprehend the 13 men and one woman in five Western states - Nevada, California, Utah, Idaho and Washington - as part of "Operation Over the Line."
Nine of the suspects were arrested after search warrants were served Friday, and five others already were in custody as part of the investigation, said Daniel Bogden, U.S. attorney for Nevada.
They've been indicted by federal grand juries in Nevada and Idaho. The indictments, some dating to February, were unsealed Friday.
"Undercover ATF agents purchased nearly 40 firearms using different Reno gun shows as the hub of activity," said John Torres, ATF special agent in charge of the San Francisco office.
"We also seized explosives at one residence in Reno today," including 20 blasting caps and 20 feet of detonating cord, he said.
The agents purchased guns over the past year at about 10 gun shows, one in Las Vegas and the rest in Reno, including large events held at the Reno Hilton hotel-casino and the Reno-Sparks convention center, authorities said. The weapons include eight machine guns, 10 hand guns and 15 long guns, Torres said.
Items seized include a bulletproof vest, assault rifles and semiautomatic pistols - specifically a Korean-made AK47 machine gun, a .45-caliber submachine gun, an AK47 semiautomatic assault pistol, a Glock 9 mm pistol, a Glock .40-caliber pistol and a Baretta semiautomatic pistol.
"We want to show that you can't use gun shows as a vehicle to conduct illegal firearm sales," Torres said.
The operation was "part of a nationwide commitment to reduce the number of illegal guns in possession out there," Bogden said.
Assistant Washoe County Sheriff Jim Lopey said the operation was a huge success.
"We got a lot of weapons off the street," he said.
Torres and Bogden said each of the suspects appeared to have been acting independently and none is known to be involved in terrorism or belong to a gang.
"But we want to be sure they do not get into the hands of gang members," he said.
The indictments show undercover buys were made at the "Las Vegas Gun Show" on Jan. 17 and at various sessions of the "Big Reno Gun Show" on April 23 and last year on Aug. 16 and Nov. 15.
"We are not targeting gun shows. We're targeting people who use gun shows as a conduit to traffic illegally in firearms," Torres said.
A message left at the number for the Big Reno Gun Show was not immediately returned. Another listed contact, Donald Shiffer of Carson City, was out of town and not immediately available for comment, said a woman who answered the telephone and identified herself as his daughter.
Nina Delgadillo, senior special agent and spokeswoman for the ATF field office in Sacramento, emphasized that most gun show dealers follow the law.
"This is a minority of people who are using gun shows to conduct illegal activities," she said.
"Unfortunately you have this other kind of people mixed in here," added Thomas Cannon, ATF special agent in charge of the Reno office.
Several of the people charged were felons or were covered by domestic violence restraining orders and were prohibited from possessing firearms, Bogden said.
Only licensed dealers can sell firearms at gun shows and they can sell directly to people only from within the same state. Sales to out-of-state buyers must include a licensed dealer from their home state.
Most of the charges in the indictments are punishable by up to five years in prison and a $250,000 fine, although several carry maximum sentences of 10 years in prison, including possession of a machine gun and possession of a firearm by a felon, Bogden said.
No, you should not ever have a Concealed Carry Permit.
Because you should never need a permit to exercise your God given right to keep and bear arms.
It is exactly that good men like you ( I know you to be a good man because I have been following the TT thread. God knows your heart.) are prevented from packing under our laws that make the passing and enforcing of those laws a crime.
Name one, other than something that would be equally illegal regardless of the weapon used, such as assault with a deadly weapon, armed robbery, and so forth. Maybe add to that laws against felons' in possession, but maybe not, since until quite recently even convicted felons rights, including the RKBA, were restored once they had served their time. Anything which prohibits otherwise peaceable citizens from exercising their RKBA is on it's face an infringement of that RKBA which the Constitution says belongs to "the people" and commands that commands that it "shall not be infringed". You know, the Constitution, highest law of the land, which binds "the Judges in every State". That Constitution.
It doesn't have to make sense, it's the law. (Well it has the color of law at least)
My point was that we think of felonies as crimes like robbery, rape, murder, etc., but people can get caught in the legal system just like I did.
Under the laws of some states, I would never be allowed to have a CCP.
I agree 100% with you that carrying a firearm is a God given right.
"Right of the people to keep and bear arms shall not be infringed" leaves little or no room for there to be "illegal arms".
Let's say the people of Chicago, via the city council, decide they want their city free of guns.
Should Chicago be permitted to ban its residents from owning and keeping guns in their homes?
Congratulations on your new almost legal open carry "law". I believe if you extended recognition of that right to out of state residents, it might actually be law. You don't really believe that the fed gov owns most of Alaska, do you? Under the limited powers granted to the fed gov by the Constitution, they may have some ports, military instalations, and maybe post offices, but that's about all. Any or all of these priveleges may be revoked by the people at their discretion. Yeah, we've got a long way to go here in Cali. Don't mean to whine, but you've got to recognise the problem before you can fix it. Best regards.
Anyone committing the above crimes should be hanged on the courthouse lawn exactly one week after conviction, with vendors present selling hotdogs and popcorn.
All others should have thier full civil rights restored, IMNSHO.
I agree 100% with you that carrying a firearm is a God given right.
It is not just a God given right. It is our duty. Jesus told his followers to acquire arms, even at the expense of selling thier clothing (36Luke22).
How else are we to protect our sisters and our freedoms which are indeed God given?
What you really mean is the power of some to decide how other people are going to live their lives. That's what such "social engineering" schemes come down to. They are the antithesis of liberty.
No wonder you choose to live in Texas, where you can own a .50 BMG sniper rifle.
For the information of those who don't know, he does own just a such fine piece of armament, and I'm green with envy, but unfortunatly not with the money to own and shoot one myself. :(.
You've got to be thinking of that hanging scene in True Grit. Judge Parker knew how to handle them rats!
Well that wasn't what I was thinking of, but it certainly fits the bill. One of my favorite movies of all time. Some of the best dialogue ever.
Now I know that is pretty complicated, what with it being written in plain old English and all, but it is the LAW of the land.
Anything contrary to it is illegal.
In your opinion, should the Second Amendment apply to State and local governments?
Well, there's a bunch of other reasons, Gato, but that's one.
For any Texan who's interested, it's possible to get a felony expunged from your record in a case like mine.
'Course, if you've murdered someone or raped someone, then Texans would like to expunge you !
Gato, you don't need money to shoot a .50 caliber sniper rifle.
Anytime we have a shoot I'll be there, and you can shoot till your shoulder falls off free of charge.
If a state wishes to provide in its criminal code that someone convicted of certain crimes shall be barred from firearm ownership for some duration or indefinitely as a specific part of the sentence, I would see no constitutional basis for objection.
Where does the federal government get any authority to pass any legislation on such matters, and where does any government get the authority to impose such conditions on a person retroactively for crimes committed before such legislation was enacted?
This is one nation now since 1865; states follow, they do not lead or stand apart.
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