[Texas:]Luling gun dealer linked to Mexican drug cartel

KENS ^ | October 16, 2009 | Staff

[SwinneySwitch]

A 58-year-old Luling man will be keeping his nose clean for the next few years.

Thursday Alfred Dwight Watkins was sentenced to ten months in federal prison for dealing firearms without a license. After his prison sentence he will be under supervised release for three additional years.

The judge also ordered him to pay a $11,232 fine.

Last August Watkins admitted to selling firearms at Austin and San Antonio gun shows even though his license had expired in 2003. According to authorities, Watkins admitted that in order to 'flip' more firearms he mislead customers by telling them they didn't need paperwork for the transactions. He also admitted that he sold a $600 firearm to a person who was legally prohibited from possessing a firearm.

But that was not the end of it.

During a Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives (ATF) investigation, agents uncovered a link between Watkins and the Mexican drug cartel, Los Zetas. According to the report, Watkins admitted he had purchased a firearm that Mexican authorities recovered three weeks later from the drug cartel.

Following a search of Watkins' home in March, ATF agents confiscated 65 firearms, including a dozen assault rifles, plus approximately 59,000 rounds of ammunition. All of the firearms and ammunition found were forfeited to the government as part of Watkins' guilty plea.

[SwinneySwitch]

Send him to a Mexican prison?

[smokingfrog]

When is the auction?

[SwinneySwitch]

The 12th of Never?

[NormsRevenge]

approximately 59,000 rounds of ammunition

eBay can’t sell ammo, huh?

[smokingfrog]

I wonder if they give or sell siezed weapons and ammo to police departments?

[SwinneySwitch]

Gun runner ping!

If you want on, or off this S. Texas/Mexico ping list, please FReepMail me.

[wolfcreek]

Making a bad name for the rest.

Seems like someone at the gun shows or event sponsors would require proof before allowing him to sell at the shows.

[Dayman]

I'd be interested in reading the charging documents. It's not illegal to sell guns at a gun show, regardless of how many are sold. If the story is correct that he was “flipping” firearms then that is a business, but I'd have to see it to believe it. I wouldn't take the BATFE’s word for it as they don't want any firearms sold by non-FFL’s.

Dealers who forfeit their licenses are allowed to liquidate their remaining inventory in any legal manner, including selling them as a private individual at a gun show.