Posted on 11/11/2006 7:29:21 AM PST by Firefigher NC
FAYETTEVILLE — A Fayetteville militia member was arrested Wednesday by teams of special agents from the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives and other federal and state agencies and local police in connection with illegal firearms.
Fayetteville police Lt. Mike Reynolds said 14 search warrants were executed Wednesday in Fort Smith and Fayetteville and one of the warrants was for a lieutenant commander of the Militia of Washington County, Hollis “Wayne” Fincher, of 16085 East Black Oak Road. “We assisted ATF and several other agencies in arresting Fincher. I don’t believe he has a criminal history with us. That’s all I can tell you,” Reynolds said.
Washington County Sheriff Tim Helder said he couldn’t comment on the arrest or Fincher.
Fincher was arrested without incident at his residence, according to an ATF news release.
Senior ATF Special Agent Austin R. Banks said he was restricted to releasing anything beyond the news release. He did confirm Fincher has no criminal record and he was the only person arrested.
The arrest and search warrants were the result of an eight-month investigation relating to the unlawful manufacture, possession and transfer of machine guns, Banks said.
A machine gun that can fire 550 rounds a minute and assorted 9 mm Sten submachine guns are stored in the Washington County militia’s concrete and steel vault, according to information gathered from an interview conducted by The Morning News in March. Each weapon is stamped with the word “non-commercial” to prove the group holds the arms for militia purchases only and not for trade or sale.
Owners of automatic weapons must pay $200 to license each automatic weapon they own. Militia members avoided that by re-building government-destroyed automatic weapons for their own use, Paul Smith, militia commander said in March.
Fincher said in the March interview he believes Americans should proudly uphold the right to bear arms, stand up for land rights and not always accept the federal government as the supreme law of the land.
“What we’ve got to do today is hold our ground,” Fincher said in March.
According to the militia’s Web site, the headquarters is down the road from Fincher’s address at 15566 E. Black Oak Road. The militia was formed July 4, 1994.
Thirteen additional federal search warrants were executed at different places in the Fort Smith-Fayetteville area, Banks said. The warrants are under seal at the direction of the U.S. Attorney for the Western Judicial District of Arkansas. All evidence seized during the execution of the warrants will be submitted to the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the preparation of indictments in this investigation.
ATF, FBI, Washington County Sheriff’s Department, Fayetteville Police Department, Springdale Police Department, Arkansas State Police, Arkansas State Bomb Squad and the Madison County Sheriff’s Department participated in the investigation.
The investigation was conducted under Project Safe Neighborhoods, the U.S. Department of Justice initiative that combines federal, state and local resources to combat violent gun crime. The U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Western District of Arkansas will prosecute the case.
Legally, your are wrong.
The violent crimes were committed by the BATFags and their assorted hangers-on. The bill of indictment against them should include breaking and entering, burglary, theft, kidnapping, assault with a deadly weapon, and deprivation of civil rights under color of law.
Carolyn
Legally, your are wrong.
You said: "-- If the 'system' is unconstitutional --".
The legality of the system being used to deprive him of his right to keep a machine gun is a clear violation of the 2nd Amendment, and is being challenged on that basis.
Obviously, you agree with the feds that machine guns can 'legally' be prohibited. -- Why?
Yet another freeper grossly ignorant of the Constitution. Simply because a law is on the books does not mean it is constitutional. I should have expected you gun-grabbers to come out of the woodwork with (R)udy making his announcement.
Taunting those with lots more power and firepower than you isn't rational.
He wasn't "taunting", -- he's raised a test case hoping he can get his case heard in the USSC.
-- I really can't understand how ~anyone~ could rationally object to his effort.
Can you explain your reason?
I guess that I have no faith in the courts upholding any rights that impede the march to totaliarnism so desired by the "right" and the "left".
The object is to ~force~ the courts to either accept the 2nd, -- or to outright reject its principles.
If they reject it, [and I doubt they can or will] at least we know where to make a stand.
You have no standing to adjudicate whether or not something is unconstitutional. That authority has been vested in the Judicial Branch of Government.
My response to tpaine also applies to you.
Legally, your are wrong.
You said: "-- If the 'system' is unconstitutional --".
The legality of the system being used to deprive him of his right to keep a machine gun is a clear violation of the 2nd Amendment, and is being challenged on that basis.
Obviously, you agree with the feds that machine guns can 'legally' be prohibited. -- Why?
You have a reading comprehension problem. You have no standing to adjudicate whether or not something is unconstitutional. That authority has been vested in the Judicial Branch of Government.
Weird 'answer', as I've never claimed to have "standing".
Whether the '34 fed firearms 'Act' is constitutional is the issue being challenged. -- And yes, the authority to decide that issue has been vested in the Judicial Branch [Supreme Court] of the US Government.
Obviously, you agree with the feds that machine guns can 'legally' be prohibited. -- Why is that?
They can. It may not be right. It may not be legal. It may not even be Constitutional but they can.
They can because they are the power and power can do as it please. They control the enforcement system including the courts.
It may not be right. it seldom is but power is power. And they will go to whatever lenghts they have to in order to keep that power.
That they arrested the man shows that they could. They could have arrested a terrorists, gang bangers, or drug dealers but they chose not to. The armed criminal is not a threat to their power but a law abiding citizen of good character is. This is who they will persue.
The illegals and armed criminals are no threat to them. Individuals of good character who happen to own firearms are.
Somebody has to. Hitler, Stalin, and Mao all had their fan clubs.
sport wrote:
They can. It may not be right. It may not be legal. It may not even be Constitutional but they can. They can because they are the power and power can do as it please. They control the enforcement system including the courts.
Yep, and as we see, part of the reason 'they can', is because they even have the support of 'conservative prohibitionists', -- some of whom are posting here at FR. -- Figure that.
"Yet another freeper grossly ignorant of the Constitution. Simply because a law is on the books does not mean it is constitutional."
It is amazing isn't it, how many conservatives will buy into this BS.
This is exactly the form of government yoy would have if you took a great system, The Constitution of The United States of America, and gave it to Goober to modify. Supply Goober with a team of experts, Gomer Pyle, Floyd the Barber, Barney Fife, and Aunt Bea, to modify this system for you. Give this group enough time, and they would come up with something less preposterous than our current GOOBERMENT.
:~)
01
"You have a reading comprehension problem."
Me Too...
A well-regulated militia, being necessary to the security of a free state, the right of the people to keep and bear arms shall not be infringed.
Or...
A well cooked turkey, being necessary to a good thanksgiving supper, the right of the people to keep and bear arms shall not be infringed.
Just what changed for the people?
01
"You are the ignoramus."
"My response to tpaine also applies to you."
There are none so blind as those that refuse to see.
01
"The armed criminal is not a threat to their power but a law abiding citizen of good character is. This is who they will persue."
Why? --- because they are easy to find, and they have resources to confiscate.
01
Man am I glad to see the war on terror and as well.
/sarcasm
Operation Safe Streets, which funded this little exercise, is a creature of the Bush administration with full support and encouragement from the NRA.
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