Posted on 07/08/2012 4:00:20 PM PDT by marktwain
Thomas Piatek, member of the Hutaree militia, was charged with plotting to kill police officers and overthrow the government, but was acquitted by a judge in March who cited insuffient evidence.
An admitted militiaman got 41 guns and more than 100,000 rounds of ammunition back from the government Friday.
The guns were confiscated when Thomas Piatek and six other members of the Hutaree militia were arrested in 2009 on charges that they planned to kill police officers and overthrow the government. He was acquitted in March, when a federal judge, Victoria Roberts, found there was insufficient evidence in the case. Piatek and the others then petitioned to get their weapons back.
The implements of destructions — which included an AK-47, handguns, shotguns, crossbows and swords — required two trips to take home, according to TV station WLS.
When Piatek arrived to pick up his property from the Hammond, Ind., police station, he was already packing heat.
“Just a piece, you know, whatever," Piatek said, according to WLS. "You got a phone, keys, whatever. It ain't a thing with me."
Other members of the militia also got their guns back, but none had a collection to rival Piatek’s.
Piatek also got back military helmets, bulletproof vests, $100 cash and his cell phone, the Detroit Free Press reports.
The judge let weapons charges stand against two members of the militia, including its leader, David Stone Sr. Both pleaded guilty to possessing a machine gun, a federal crime.
“This is a victory for the Constitution," Piatek's lawyer Arthur Weiss, who accompanied his client, said.
jfields@nydailynews.com
Were they given back in working condition? Cops in certain places are known to have a habit of damaging them while in evidence. One case was a buddy of mine who got his gun back, finally, and it was written/painted on the barrel, slide, magazine to the point it had to be sent back to Glock for cleaning and repair.
80 million gun owners are 80 million militias right there.
I’d suggest that he check them carefully to make sure that no serial numbers were filed off while they were gone. Needs to check for other possible modifications, as well.
He should have every gun examined by a good gunsmith. I would be very interested in the state of the firing pins
I don’t think this fellow will fail to inspect and test each and every gun.
Feds are desperate to find non-Muslim terrorists.
He who dies with the most toys wins!
The Feds are not going to let this one slide. The utter contempt for constitutional rights displayed by the prosecutors is no less then criminal malfeasance. Guilt by association? Ill perceived view of sedition and insurrection against the Unites States of America? If they were trying to send a message, it backfired spectacularly. It would be interesting to find out how much the snitch was paid.
We are in trouble with this Gestapo mentality.
It cost him 2 years of his life, garnered support for gun owners and is deepening the mistrust and lack of confidence of in law enforcement. The Feds have nobody to blame but themselves.
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