ATF Agents Arrest 14 in Multistate Operation(Gestapo Alert!)

PRNewswire via Yahoo ^ | May 21, 2004

[SteveH]

ATF Agents Arrest 14 in Multistate Operation(Gestapo Alert!)

http://biz.yahoo.com/prnews/040521/clf044_1.html

May 21, 2004

ATF Agents Arrest 14 in Multistate Operation

Friday May 21, 5:17 pm ET

RENO, Nev., May 21 /PRNewswire/ -- John A. Torres, Special Agent In Charge of the San Francisco Field Division of the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives (ATF), announced today that ATF agents in California, Nevada, Idaho, Utah and Washington State participated in the arrests of 14 people after a federal grand jury returned indictments charging them with federal firearms violations. All of the defendants were charged with dealing firearms without a license, illegal sales of firearms, possession of unregistered firearms, and possession of firearms by prohibited persons. One of those arrested, Laquan J. Abdulrahim of East Palo Alto, Calif., was also charged with possession of body armor by a violent felon, the first time a defendant in Nevada has been charged with this federal violation. This charge alone carries a maximum penalty of three years in federal prison.

Dubbed "Operation Over The Line," the year-long investigation into the illegal purchasing and trafficking of firearms ultimately led agents to individuals in three other states. During the course of the investigation, more than 400 firearms were seized with dozens more to be retrieved in the near future. ATF undercover agents purchased approximately 30-40 firearms from various individuals, including some that were illegal. The agents purchased firearms from federally licensed firearms dealers (FFLs) as well as unlicensed dealers.

"Although some of these transactions took place at various gunshows in Nevada, a minority group of people chose to use gunshows as a conduit to conduct their illegal activities," Torres said. "The gun shows were not the target of our investigation."

In addition to the arrest warrants, agents served a federal search warrant at the residence and business of Larry B. Reimer, of Pahrump, Nev. Reimer was arrested pursuant to the grand jury indictments. Reimer, a licensed firearms dealer, was charged with the illegal transfer of a semiautomatic weapon and the illegal sale of a firearm. These charges carry a maximum penalty of five years each in federal prison.

Among the items recovered at another search warrant location in Nevada were a number of firearms, including machine guns, as well as explosive materials.

Torres praised the Reno Police Department, Washoe County Sheriff's Department, the Nevada Highway Patrol, California Highway Patrol, the West Sacramento Police Department and the California Department of Justice for assisting ATF in this investigation.

"ATF will continue to reduce illicit firearms trafficking by investigating individuals who provide firearms to prohibited persons, who deal without a license, and who sell firearms illegally. Working with our state and local partners toward this endeavor will keep firearms out of the hands of criminals," Torres said.

More information on ATF is available at www.atf.gov .

Contacts: Nina S. Delgadillo, PIO, ATF Pager: 888-533-8597 Tom Cannon, Resident Agent In Charge Office Phone: 775-784-5251

Source: Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms & Explosives

[B4Ranch]

What's your solution for elected officials who keep the borders open where Islamics can walk into America?

[eno_]

I realize the Gestapo did confiscate weapons that were illegal under the Third Reich, but those people caught were sent to concentration/labor camps or killed on the spot. Please don't compare US law enforcement agencies to the murderous Gestapo who rounded up innocents for mass murder as a matter of policy. (Yes Waco was a mass murder of civilians, but done due to poor leadership rather than standing policy). Remember how angry we get as conservatives when some left wing radical calls us Nazis due to our beliefs.

Bzzzt wrong. Show me the JBTs who killed people at Waco in prison for life, or lined up in front of a firing squad. Until that happens, these people deserve only penury, beating, humiliation, and death.

[Recovering Hermit]

Must be a RENO thing...

[Reactionary]

"Working with our state and local partners toward this endeavor will keep firearms out of the hands of criminals," Torres said."

They're still using that tired, old line?

If it's their job to keep "guns out of the hands of criminals," they're the most inept government agency in human history.

[Eastbound]

"(Yes Waco was a mass murder of civilians, but done due to poor leadership rather than standing policy)."

Yes, it was that too. . . and those at the scene of the carnage 'ver chust folloving orders,' so lets give them a pass.

[SteveH]

EPA is mostly hispanic, then islanders, then blacks now. I try not to drive through after dark since they like to shoot at passing cars... Or from passing cars.

Soundz roughly accurate, to me...

;-/

[OXENinFLA]

"Although some of these transactions took place at various gunshows in Nevada, a minority group of people chose to use gunshows as a conduit to conduct their illegal activities," Torres said. "The gun shows were not the target of our investigation."

Bull****!!! This case will make it into the DEMS remarks next time guns are brought up in the Senate/House.

[SteveH]

It seems you have failed to remember Waco and Ruby Ridge where Clinton trying to appease his tree hugging friends clearly went over the line! ...

Ruby Ridge occurred in Aug. 1992, not including the ATF setup sting which started in 1989. Clinton wasn't inaugurated until Jan. 1993.

Bush I was president in the 1989-1992 timeframe.

It seems you might be interested in reading George Bush: the Unauthorized Biography if you haven't already.

[R. Scott]

How did a small agency charged with collecting the tax on tobacco and booze grow into this? Do they still pay any attention to their “alcohol and tobacco” mission?

[Atlas Sneezed]

What you seem to have missed in the body of the story is the guy from East Palo Alto...now that is gang city...his name is rather Muslim sounding and he had body armor (as aviolent felon no less) as well as some nasty guns. This ain't the Gestapo....more likely it is a crack down on folks who may be working with some rather unsavory groups from the mIddle East

---

What you have missed is that out of 14 accused of violating techinical laws, they picked that would exploit the racial and cultural assumptions of readers. The ATF seeks to gain the mantle of "anti-terrorism" by implication, when in fact they are mostly arresting white guys who are doing things like selling a rifle to a guy without a background check, or selling a rifle that can be converted to rapid fire.

What is wrong witrh a guy who lives in a dangerous, crime infested neighborhood owning body armor? If he were to use it in a crime, why not just prosecute him for that? Do you really think that NOT having body armor makes it less likely that he would be tempted back into crime?

[Atlas Sneezed]

Bang

[William Tell]

GLSchnJR said: "People have the right to bear arms but not have banned or unregistered weapons."

Please tell me which infringements of the right to keep and bear arms are not allowed? I challenge you to describe any limits that remain under present policies.

[Travis McGee]

If the INS was run like the ATF, every illegal alien in America would be arrest, deported, or shot in a month.

<p

[Travis McGee]

People have the right to bear arms but not have banned or unregistered weapons.

Hmmmm....where do you get that? I haven't read that anywhere in the Constitution. Explain please, if you will.

[TERMINATTOR]

"Operation Over The Line"

Ain't that the truth!!!

Molon Labe!

[El Gato]

You can sit there and make an honest comparison of a US law enforcement agency, however poorly led, with congressional oversight in a democratically elected country to a secret police run by Heinrich Himmler sworn by duty to liquidate Jews and other 'undesirable' human beings?

The Gestapo was only peripherally involved in rounding up Jews, they were more into political opponents, and resistance groups in occupied countries and they did alot of counter intelligence stuff as well.

What difference does it make if your rights are violate by a democratically elected body or by a single dictator? Either way your ass is grass. Furthermore, BATFE agents are (theoretically) sworn to support and defend the Constitution, which is hard to do when the basis for existence of the agency is blatantly unconstitutional on it's face. (Other than the collection of the booze and smokes taxes side, which is no longer part of the agency anyway as it was left in Treasury when BATFE moved to Justice. They retain the AT part of the name because they still enforce the laws against not paying those taxes and administer the regulations on those industries). Thus all BAFTE agents involved in the "F" and "E" parts of the organization's are in direct violation of their oaths, which can't even be said of the Gestapo agents.

[jnarcus]

It is really rather simple....If you are a violent felon ( one of the bad guys) you may not own body armor...doesn't matter where you live. I suggest that you take a deep breath and relax just a little bit. The hysteria that is prevalent about this is right up there with a Michael Moore rant...

[El Gato]

People have the right to bear arms but not have banned or unregistered weapons.

The very notion of "banned weapons" and "registered weapons" probably sets the founding fathers to spinning in their graves. What part of "right of the people" and "shall not be infringed" is so hard to understand?

[Cultural Jihad]

ATF Agents Arrest 14 in Multistate Operation

It is always good news for law-abiding gun-owners to see these thuggish gun criminals being prosecuted.

[El Gato]

Do they still pay any attention to their “alcohol and tobacco” mission?

They no longr collect the taxes that were their fig leaf for existence. They do still enforce the laws (and make the regulations which the also enforce) on transportation, packaging and so forth. They are now part of the "Justice" department, not the "Treasury" department, where the tax collecting is still done.