Teacher, cop (Husband & Wife) charged with gun trafficking

Bergen Record ^ | 02.18.05

[Coleus]

Teacher, cop charged with gun trafficking

Friday, February 18, 2005

NEWARK - A schoolteacher and his wife, who is a police officer, were arrested Thursday as part of an undercover operation to crack a gun trafficking ring that included the teacher's brother-in-law, authorities said.

Five rifles were sold for $9,200 over the course of the investigation, according to court papers.

FBI agents found a 9mm handgun in the coat pocket of the teacher, William Mayes, as he was preparing to leave home for his ninth-grade class at Success Academy, part of West Side High School in Newark, Special Agent Steve Kodak said.

Mayes, 41, and his wife, Irvington police Officer Cynthia Owens-Mayes, 27, were arrested at their Irvington home. Also arrested was Jed Smurda, 43, of Bethlehem, Pa., a painter and landscaper who had been an Army police officer and federal police officer at Fort Indiantown Gap, Pa., authorities said.

"It is a sad day when we arrest individuals who hold positions of public trust and are responsible for the education of our children with grave crimes such as these," said Joseph Billy Jr., the special agent in charge of the FBI's New Jersey operations.

The Newark school district suspended Mayes with pay, said Carol Patterson, director of community relations. If indicted, his pay could be halted, depending on the charges, she said. Mayes has taught in the district since 1993, she said.

Owens-Mayes, who joined the Irvington department in December 2002, was suspended without pay, Chief Michael Chase said.

William Mayes and Smurda face federal charges of conspiracy and selling firearms without a license. Owens-Mayes faces 14 state charges, including illegally possessing an assault rifle and official misconduct.

[Coleus]

Make 'em pay. One PC bureaucrat at a time, Irvington, NJ, boys arrested and cuffed for paper gun

Fake gun lands costumed 6th grader five-day suspension

 

Irvington, NJ, Essex County

 

Irvington in the News

[FreePaul]

Five rifles were sold for $9,200...

Anyone know what kind of "rifles." Maybe highly engraved custom fitted? I'll bet!

[blanknoone]

They weren't Yugo SKSs that is for sure.

[Disambiguator]

These are only "grave crimes" because of draconian and unconstitutional gun laws. Next, please.

[Blood of Tyrants]

Highly customized M1A's?

[jsmith48]

"It is a sad day when we arrest individuals who hold positions of public trust and are responsible for the education of our children with grave crimes such as these," said Joseph Billy Jr., the special agent in charge of the FBI's New Jersey operations

It really is a sad day when someone is arrested for exercising their natural rights. When was public trust violated? The "grave crime" was committed by JBT Joe Billy Jr., not the schoolteacher or his wife.

[Coleus]

I think in Israel, where terrorists acts occur almost daily, most schools are equipped have automatic guns and most teachers are required to carry.

[Disambiguator]

To me, that is the sensible approach.

[stompk]

"Anyone know what kind of "rifles." Maybe highly engraved custom fitted? I'll bet!"

I heard he gets them from vans in hotel parking lots !!

/grin

[coloradan]

The fact that guns caused honorable people such as cops and schoolteachers to go bad shows just how evil guns are, and why they should be even more strictly prohibited, and with tougher sentences and even more intrusive enforcement than they already are. /drug warrior "thinking"

[Panzerfaust]

The only rifles I can think of that reliably fetch 1500-2000 each (and would have enough demand so that one person could sell 5 of them) would be HK 91's or 93's. I'm betting the rifles he sold were assault rifles, since he was also charged with possessing a banned assault rifle. I think NJ has that goofy assault weapons law where guns are banned by name.

[Coleus]

Op-Ed: Israel: More Guns In School

 

Pro-Gun Group Wants To Arm Parents and Teachers

 

Defend the 2nd Amendment

 

2nd Amendment activist: No Beslans in U.S.

[Just another Joe]

William Mayes and Smurda face federal charges of conspiracy and selling firearms without a license.

Just how many guns can you sell without getting charged with this offense?

[Erik Latranyi]

The Newark school district suspended Mayes with pay....

They do not offer the same leniency to civilians, do they?

[freepatriot32]

Libertarian ping.To be added or removed from my ping list freepmail me or post a message here.

[Rifleman]

The BATFags won't tell you. They have prosecuted people for as few as one.

In theory, you are fine if you are just selling items from your collection. But if you get on the wrong side of some BATFag your collection of a half dozen rifles becomes an inventory and you get to spend $50,000 trying to stay out of Club Fed.

[jsmith48]

Could also be decent FALs, cheap AUGs, MIAs or ARs with optics and other gadgets. Many bolt actions fetch those kinds of prices too.

[jsmith48]

There is a magic number, nobody knows it except for the ATF. If you go over it the FBI and ATF will kick down your door, shoot your dog and burn you and your family alive.

[Dead Corpse]

I just can't wrap my brain around this one. Is there a legal defense fund we can contribute to? Someone in the government needs a trip to their own Club Fed on this one...

[Just another Joe]

Thanks folks.
I knew that I had never seen a number in print anywhere.

Guess I better watch out. I have over one.