Posted on 05/22/2004 11:31:33 PM PDT by SteveH
ATF Agents Arrest 14 in Multistate Operation(Gestapo Alert!)
http://biz.yahoo.com/prnews/040521/clf044_1.html
May 21, 2004
ATF Agents Arrest 14 in Multistate Operation
Friday May 21, 5:17 pm ET
RENO, Nev., May 21 /PRNewswire/ -- John A. Torres, Special Agent In Charge of the San Francisco Field Division of the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives (ATF), announced today that ATF agents in California, Nevada, Idaho, Utah and Washington State participated in the arrests of 14 people after a federal grand jury returned indictments charging them with federal firearms violations. All of the defendants were charged with dealing firearms without a license, illegal sales of firearms, possession of unregistered firearms, and possession of firearms by prohibited persons. One of those arrested, Laquan J. Abdulrahim of East Palo Alto, Calif., was also charged with possession of body armor by a violent felon, the first time a defendant in Nevada has been charged with this federal violation. This charge alone carries a maximum penalty of three years in federal prison.
Dubbed "Operation Over The Line," the year-long investigation into the illegal purchasing and trafficking of firearms ultimately led agents to individuals in three other states. During the course of the investigation, more than 400 firearms were seized with dozens more to be retrieved in the near future. ATF undercover agents purchased approximately 30-40 firearms from various individuals, including some that were illegal. The agents purchased firearms from federally licensed firearms dealers (FFLs) as well as unlicensed dealers.
"Although some of these transactions took place at various gunshows in Nevada, a minority group of people chose to use gunshows as a conduit to conduct their illegal activities," Torres said. "The gun shows were not the target of our investigation."
In addition to the arrest warrants, agents served a federal search warrant at the residence and business of Larry B. Reimer, of Pahrump, Nev. Reimer was arrested pursuant to the grand jury indictments. Reimer, a licensed firearms dealer, was charged with the illegal transfer of a semiautomatic weapon and the illegal sale of a firearm. These charges carry a maximum penalty of five years each in federal prison.
Among the items recovered at another search warrant location in Nevada were a number of firearms, including machine guns, as well as explosive materials.
Torres praised the Reno Police Department, Washoe County Sheriff's Department, the Nevada Highway Patrol, California Highway Patrol, the West Sacramento Police Department and the California Department of Justice for assisting ATF in this investigation.
"ATF will continue to reduce illicit firearms trafficking by investigating individuals who provide firearms to prohibited persons, who deal without a license, and who sell firearms illegally. Working with our state and local partners toward this endeavor will keep firearms out of the hands of criminals," Torres said.
More information on ATF is available at www.atf.gov .
Contacts: Nina S. Delgadillo, PIO, ATF Pager: 888-533-8597 Tom Cannon, Resident Agent In Charge Office Phone: 775-784-5251
Source: Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms & Explosives
What's your solution for elected officials who keep the borders open where Islamics can walk into America?
Bzzzt wrong. Show me the JBTs who killed people at Waco in prison for life, or lined up in front of a firing squad. Until that happens, these people deserve only penury, beating, humiliation, and death.
Must be a RENO thing...
They're still using that tired, old line?
If it's their job to keep "guns out of the hands of criminals," they're the most inept government agency in human history.
Yes, it was that too. . . and those at the scene of the carnage 'ver chust folloving orders,' so lets give them a pass.
Soundz roughly accurate, to me...
;-/
Bull****!!! This case will make it into the DEMS remarks next time guns are brought up in the Senate/House.
Ruby Ridge occurred in Aug. 1992, not including the ATF setup sting which started in 1989. Clinton wasn't inaugurated until Jan. 1993.
Bush I was president in the 1989-1992 timeframe.
It seems you might be interested in reading George Bush: the Unauthorized Biography if you haven't already.
How did a small agency charged with collecting the tax on tobacco and booze grow into this? Do they still pay any attention to their alcohol and tobacco mission?
What you seem to have missed in the body of the story is the guy from East Palo Alto...now that is gang city...his name is rather Muslim sounding and he had body armor (as aviolent felon no less) as well as some nasty guns. This ain't the Gestapo....more likely it is a crack down on folks who may be working with some rather unsavory groups from the mIddle East
Bang
Please tell me which infringements of the right to keep and bear arms are not allowed? I challenge you to describe any limits that remain under present policies.
Hmmmm....where do you get that? I haven't read that anywhere in the Constitution. Explain please, if you will.
Ain't that the truth!!!
Molon Labe!
The Gestapo was only peripherally involved in rounding up Jews, they were more into political opponents, and resistance groups in occupied countries and they did alot of counter intelligence stuff as well.
What difference does it make if your rights are violate by a democratically elected body or by a single dictator? Either way your ass is grass. Furthermore, BATFE agents are (theoretically) sworn to support and defend the Constitution, which is hard to do when the basis for existence of the agency is blatantly unconstitutional on it's face. (Other than the collection of the booze and smokes taxes side, which is no longer part of the agency anyway as it was left in Treasury when BATFE moved to Justice. They retain the AT part of the name because they still enforce the laws against not paying those taxes and administer the regulations on those industries). Thus all BAFTE agents involved in the "F" and "E" parts of the organization's are in direct violation of their oaths, which can't even be said of the Gestapo agents.
It is really rather simple....If you are a violent felon ( one of the bad guys) you may not own body armor...doesn't matter where you live. I suggest that you take a deep breath and relax just a little bit. The hysteria that is prevalent about this is right up there with a Michael Moore rant...
The very notion of "banned weapons" and "registered weapons" probably sets the founding fathers to spinning in their graves. What part of "right of the people" and "shall not be infringed" is so hard to understand?
They no longr collect the taxes that were their fig leaf for existence. They do still enforce the laws (and make the regulations which the also enforce) on transportation, packaging and so forth. They are now part of the "Justice" department, not the "Treasury" department, where the tax collecting is still done.
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