Posted on 05/18/2006 6:22:58 AM PDT by freepatriot32
Traders Sports, one of the biggest gun dealers in the state, hopes a hearing in U.S. District Court next week will keep them in business.
Traders has been under scrutiny for several years by the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco and Firearms (ATF), which is trying to shut down the gun dealer. The ATF decided to revoke Traders gun permit on June 1. After an audit in 2003, the ATF claims that Traders can’t account for 1,767 weapons, and that guns sold at Traders turn up in crimes at an alarming rate.
ATF spokeswoman Marti McKee said she couldn’t comment on the hearing, which is coming up next Thursday, May 25 in San Francisco before Judge Vaughn Walker.
Traders’ owner Tony Cucchiara also declined to comment on the hearing, deferring questions to his lawyer, Malcolm Segal.
The gun shop claims the ATF’s figures don’t add up because of human error, filling out paperwork wrong. They also say the ATF is unfairly targeting the store and going beyond reasonable annual inspections.
“The law allows one inspection a year — that’s a law passed by Congress — and the ATF inspected twice in one year,” said Segal.
Segal said the ATF decided to close Traders after their own hearing in which they used records going back 30 years.
“The errors they claim are really human errors,” Segal said. “Any time there are thousands of transactions with serial numbers in dozens of digits, there is always bound to be human error.”
The ATF initially claimed in its audit that Traders couldn’t account for 7,477 weapons, but the number in the final account was reduced to 1,767. Customers going to Traders this week tended to be on the gun shop’s side.
“I don’t like what they’re doing because it’s a good store,” said Sonny Verde, who comes from Marin County to shop at Traders. “They should go after the criminals not the gun stores.”
Last week the U.S. Department of Justice filed papers saying that guns sold by Traders have been recovered in a crime at a rate of nearly one per day.
About one in every eight guns sold by Traders between 2003 and 2005 has wound up in a crime, the second highest number of guns traced to crimes of any dealer in the nation, according to the Department of Justice.
In 1994, Muckraker magazine featured a story on Traders, listing violations found by the ATF going back to 1970, including sales to people who couldn’t legally buy guns and “straw sales,” which is a purchase by a legal buyer who turns the gun over to someone who can’t legally buy a gun.
FWIW, this is true for any regulated activity....OSHA, MSHA, EPA, DNR, Sarbanes-Oxley, NPDES, ATF on quarry blasting, etc. (who is etc?)
"Do you know if there is a video showing the ATF agent blowing Mrs. Randy Weaver's head off as she stood in her doorway, holding her baby?"
Just a note, Lon Horiuchi, a sniper with the FBI was the sniper who shot Randy Weaver's wife in the head.
Let's send the ATF to the Mexican border. That manpower could better be used there.
"If Bush is not pro gun then 99% of Americans are not pro-gun. Being certifiably insane is not a necessary qualification for being Pro-gun"
If he's pro-gun why is he allowing the ATF to do what it is doing?
"BTW you don't even know what a "globalist" is."
Are you a complete idiot?
If the figure of 1767 guns is the total unaccounted for since 1970 that amounts to 49 per year. I have shopped at Traders. It is a major gun dealer in the East Bay and has been for many years (the first time I went there was in the early 60's). I don't know how many guns they sell each year but I would be willing wager that 49 is a very tiny percentage of the total and could quite easily be attributed to "human error". That some of the guns sold by this place wind up used in crimes should be no surprise given the fact that it is one of the few large gun dealers still in business in the area and that they have sold many thousands of guns over the years. A more interesting statistic would be one showing what percentage of the guns sold by Traders have been used in self-defense against criminals.
"There's no reason why there can't be certified software available to do it."
Sure there is, an automated system would reduce costs and opportunities for the ATF to flex its muscle.
This is not true, there are BATFE approved computer programs that can be used in place of the bound book. I have my C&R and was looking into it.
"Let's send the ATF to the Mexican border. That manpower could better be used there."
I don't like illegal immigration but I don't necessarily want them all abused.
Sure there is, an automated system would reduce costs and opportunities for the ATF to flex its muscle.
It would make their job easier, more cost efficient and accurate. Look at what pharmacies are doing with software. If two medications are known to interactive negatively it pops a flag. A very simple thing, but I bet it's saved lives.
i dont know why post 27 came out all chopped up like that but what iwas tryingto say isthat there is an interview atthelink here of a victim of the atf persacution where the head of the atf states point blank thatthey are above all gun laws
Somebody stole my idea already? That was fast...
"Is there even the remotest chance thaat the JBTs are right on this one case?"
With idiots like Sterling Nixon on their payrolls, not a chance. They are not a legitimate government agency but a bunch of thugs acting like an organized crime syndicate. I don't doubt for an instant that this is more of their intimidation and unlawful tactics coming out.
Mike
Yeah... here's one
http://www.bxbweb.com/armssoftware/
Looks okay and is priced right. What's missing is the ability to export customer names/addresses/email addresses to word or quark to create direct mail to promote sales, events, etc.
They have a long reputation as a rogue agency who violate the rules with impunity.
Well the Congress will hold hearings and criticize them as window dressing but nothing really will be done.
And yes, President Bush is also to blame, these things do not happen without approval from above.
Typical govt BS. The govt doesn't enforce anything for years, nobody at the store gets excited about taking care in writing down solid information 'cause no one looks for 30 years--and thus info is sloppy. The govt knows if someone isn't checking, the info collecting becomes relaxed--and uses this fact of human nature to their advantage to try and crush a loyal taxpaying business--a business that PAYS their own freakin' salary.
We need lots more government in our lives!
He's just very arrogant, and insults people with whom he disagrees.
I pressed one for English but then you fell down the stairs.
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