NM:More Fast and Furious Scandal Allegations

Gun Watch ^ | 9 January, 2014 | Dean Weingarten

[marktwain]

When this case first appeared, at the height of the first exposure of  the Fast and Furious scandal, it was highlighted as an example of smuggling to the Mexican cartels that was *not* a part of the operation.    It might or might not be significant that the BATFE agent quoted in the article is William Newell, who had a significant role in Fast and Furious, and whose testimony before congress became infamous.

Now, one of the victims of the prosecution is able to tell a bit of his story.   He was never allowed bail from the time he was arrested.  His release a few weeks ago was because of falsification of evidence by the BATFE or prosecution.   There is a lesson here for those who feel they are up against a political prosecution.   Cop a plea deal because of tremendous pressure from the prosecution: Result, you may get hammered anyway.  From the lcsun-news.com:

EL PASO >> A former gun shop owner who was convicted of conspiring with officials from Columbus, N.M., to smuggle weapons into Mexico is out of prison after successfully appealing the sentencing guidelines for his case.

Ian Garland, former owner of the now defunct Chaparral Guns store, initially was sentenced to 60 months in prison, mainly because the weapons attributed to him in the smuggling case were characterized as "machine guns," when they were not automatic weapons, according to court documents.

Garland does not have a tape of the BATFE interactions, as do other gun shops that were involved in Fast and Furious.   His records were all confiscated during the prosecution.   Because he dealt with the prosecutors for a plea bargain, he was not able to tell his side of the story until now.   He contends that the sales he made were  not "straw purchases" under the law, and the paper mentions that a case about what is a "straw purchase" is under consideration, and may make it to the Supreme Court.  

None the less, the writer is unequivocal  about  calling the sales straw purchases.   No "alleged" here.  This is an approved "gun crime" and the "perpetrator" is a gun dealer to boot.

Garland contends that the government should never have prosecuted him for facilitating the straw purchases of numerous weapons because he did nothing wrong.

"I've sold guns to people who are in law enforcement, and in the case of the Columbus, New Mexico, group, I sold guns to officials like the mayor and police chief, who were legally able to make such purchases," Garland said. "They kept making purchases, and when I asked why they wanted them, they said that they were also buying guns for their families to protect themselves against the drug cartel."

Garland said he filled out the correct paperwork required for firearms purchases, including the background checks, and submitted forms that the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives required.

"If anything, during an audit of my records, the ATF told me I was over-documenting my transactions," Garland said. "I told them everything that was going on, and they (ATF) told me to keep on selling (the firearms)."

We already know that someone on the prosecution side lied about evidence.  That is why Garland was released.  If they lied about that evidence, why should we trust them about anything else that they said?  It is not as if the BATFE and the Eric Holder justice department have a sterling reputation for always telling the truth and cooperating on investigations of wrong doing.

It is also clear that if Garland is telling the truth, the BATFE and the prosecution had tremendous incentive to lie, to cover up, and to silence him by keeping him in jail.   If this case is part of Fast and Furious, then the scandal is that much broader and that much worse.   Using false evidence to put someone in jail for long periods just piles it higher and deeper.


©2013 by Dean Weingarten: Permission to share is granted when this notice is included.
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[marktwain]

It certainly sounds a lot like Fast and Furious. The fact that William Newall was in on the press brief early on, is quite interesting, as is the falsification of evidence to get longer sentencing.

[marktwain]

Ping for Fast and Furious.

[OneWingedShark]

I knew that Fast & Furious had to be involved in NM (it was in AZ and TX).

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[TigersEye]

ping

[TigersEye]

FBI Criminal Informant Complicit in Brian Terry’s Death (PJM Exclusive)

The rip crew was in Peck Canyon that evening with the intention of stealing money and drugs from a specific shipment of which they had prior knowledge.

(snip)

The rip crew knew to be in Peck Canyon that December evening because a CI working for the FBI found out about a smuggling run — from the FBI.

(snip)

The Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA) — through its own CIs and communications intercepts — was also aware of the planned assault.

Neither the DEA nor FBI warned Border Patrol about the expected criminal activity.

(snip)

The federal government will still not reveal if one of the two WASR-10 AK-pattern semi-automatic rifles located near the scene — provided to the Sinaloa cartel via Operation Fast and Furious — was the weapon that put a bullet through Brian Terry’s heart. The existence of a third recovered gun, an SKS carbine, has been disputed by the FBI despite the fact it had been talked about openly in the beginning of the investigation among federal agents.

Multiple sources tell PJM that this third weapon “disappeared” because it was the weapon carried by the FBI CI who ran the rip crew. When it was recovered near the scene of the murder and subsequently traced by the ATF, it traced back to the FBI CI via the gun shop in Texas where it was purchased.

Brian Terry’s murder was entirely preventable. The incompetence of the DEA and FBI let his Border Patrol unit walk into an ambush. After the ambush, it appears the FBI tampered with evidence to cover up that one of their informants was involved with the murder of a federal agent.

[RIghtwardHo]

You know what we need? Someone with a brain (not Issa) to investigate these scandals. The American public gives two hoots about this, Behngazi, won’t care about the Gates memoirs, Obamacare, etc. Why? Because of the inept, feckless Issa and GOP. So much to talk about, so much to expose, and no one really cares.

[MestaMachine]

Something to chew on...

When DOESN'T the government lie to us?

[Travis McGee]

Similar to the Reese case in Deming NM. If the PHX gunshops had not videotaped their ATF “strongarm” meetings, they would have gone to jail too.

[marktwain]

“You know what we need? Someone with a brain (not Issa) to investigate these scandals. The American public gives two hoots about this, Behngazi, won’t care about the Gates memoirs, Obamacare, etc. Why? Because of the inept, feckless Issa and GOP. So much to talk about, so much to expose, and no one really cares.”

I can see why people would think this.

I do not believe that it is so. Issa is a very smart guy, and I believe he wants to win. The problem is not Issa, the problem is that the MSM covers for the current administration. Issa has given them much more than they every had on Nixon. If a Republican had done one tenth as much as Obama, they would be shamed out of office already.

Remember Scooter Libby? Drummed out on false charges because he misremembered a date, after the prosecutor already had found out who had “outed” the CIA employee who had conspired to put Bush in a bad light in the first place, which was never even a crime. All because the MSM is 99.9% completely one sided.

It is the MSM, and some “Progressive” Republicans that are the problem, not all Republicans. For that matter, the “Progressive” Republicans would not be in office if it were not for the MSM.

This is a great essay on the “Rise of the Mediacracy” by Daniel Greenberg:

http://gunwatch.blogspot.com/2013/12/daniel-greenfieldrise-of-mediacracy.html

[marktwain]

“Similar to the Reese case in Deming NM. If the PHX gunshops had not videotaped their ATF “strongarm” meetings, they would have gone to jail too.”

Yes, that is what I was thinking as well. One wonders how much of this stuff has been going on for decades before recorders became cheap, small, and reliable.

The biggest reason that it did not happen as much under Republican administrations is that the MSM has been willing to do nearly anything to crucify them (perhaps since Roosevelt) and quite willing to overlook anything by “Progressives”.

[tiki]

I said so from the day they got arrested. In my opinion, they killed one man by the stress they put on him.

It worked so well that they decided to go after the Reeses, and though they’ve managed to take away all their worldly goods I’m putting my money on the Reeses. I think they will get their day in court and I think they’ll win.

[tiki]

Well, gun smuggling to Mexico has been very popular since I was a kid. I grew up with a guy who sold guns into Mexico before all the strict gun laws. He had a shipment for someone who changed his mind on the delivery date so he sold them to another guy, the other guy found out and had him killed and dismembered.

It’s a border town it’s seedy and they smuggle anything worth smuggling, both ways. I’ve never heard of any official south of the border who wasn’t corrupt and there are a lot of corrupt American officials. You don’t really trust anyone.

I’m sure it isn’t any different than many towns we just know more than those who live in larger towns, we know the bad guys and the good guys.

[SunkenCiv]

> We already know that someone on the prosecution side lied about evidence. That is why Garland was released. If they lied about that evidence, why should we trust them about anything else that they said? It is not as if the BATFE and the Eric Holder justice department have a sterling reputation for always telling the truth and cooperating on investigations of wrong doing.

Thanks marktwain.

[CedarDave]

An earlier story not Pinged while I was disconnected from the net...

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[CedarDave]

Sorry, missed that you had already Pinged. Thanks!

[OneWingedShark]

It's ok; I needed reminded about this — I'm thinking of doing another brochure.