IRS Acquiring Short-Barrel Shotguns

Already our economy is staggering under the weight of taxation. But if we are to make even a dent in the bills Comrade Obama is running up with his ongoing looting spree, tax rates will have to shoot through the stratosphere. Eventually confiscatory taxation will become so outrageous that people will begin to remember that we are supposedly free Americans, not slaves of the greed-addled socialists running the federal government. The IRS is preparing for this eventuality by stocking up on short-barrel shotguns:

The Internal Revenue Service (IRS) intends to purchase sixty Remington Model 870 Police RAMAC #24587 12 gauge pump-action shotguns for the Criminal Investigation Division. The Remington parkerized shotguns, with fourteen inch barrel, modified choke, Wilson Combat Ghost Ring rear sight and XS4 Contour Bead front sight, Knoxx Reduced Recoil Adjustable Stock, and Speedfeed ribbed black forend, are designated as the only shotguns authorized for IRS duty based on compatibility with IRS existing shotgun inventory, certified armorer and combat training and protocol, maintenance, and parts.

Fourteen-inch barrel, huh? Anything less than 18 inches is illegal for us tax slaves.

So much for the consent of the governed. The crew in Washington now are on the record as agreeing with history's most bloodthirsty tyrant that "power comes from the barrel of a gun."

Government is coercion. As this story reminds us, everything it does boils down to a bureaucrat hiring a thug to poke a shotgun in your belly. This is why the Founding Fathers went to such lengths to constrain its power — and why our current rulers are systematically destroying those constraints.

Examples of Narcotics-Related Financial Investigations - Fiscal Year 2010

The following examples of Narcotics-Related Financial investigations are excerpts from public record documents on file in the court records in the judicial district in which the cases were prosecuted.
Final Co-Conspirator in Las Vegas Methamphetamine Trafficking Organization Sentenced to Life in Prison

On January 11, 2010, in Honolulu, Hawaii, John Rodrigues was sentenced to life in prison for methamphetamine trafficking. According to court documents, Rodrigues was the last member of a large drug trafficking organization to be sentenced for shipping more than 2,000 pounds of methamphetamine from Las Vegas, Nevada to Hawaii from 2002 to September, 2005. Rodrigues also shipped approximately 10 pounds in 2008. In total 25 people were convicted in the case.
Chicago Firefighter Sentenced to more than 17 Years on Narcotics and Money Laundering Charges

On December 29, 2009, in Urbana, Ill., Sung Jin Jeon was sentenced to 210 months in prison to be followed by five years of supervised release for drug trafficking and money laundering. According to court records, Jeon admitted that from 2004 to December 2007, while he was employed as a fireman in Chicago, he conspired with others to distribute cocaine through a drug trafficking network that sold the drugs in Champaign-Urbana. As part of the conspiracy, he also agreed to launder drug proceeds for a co-conspirator through businesses he owned. To do this, Jeon falsely listed the man as an employee of his company. When the man made payments to Jeon from drug proceeds, Jeon would partially redirected the money back to him by writing payroll checks and falsely claiming the checks were payment of wages.
Four Brothers Sentenced on Drug and Money Laundering Charges

On December 18, 2009, in Miami, Fla., four brothers were sentenced on charges of conspiracy to commit money laundering, conspiracy to commit mail fraud, conspiracy to manufacture and possess with intent to distribute more than 100 marijuana plants, and conspiracy to maintain a place to manufacture and distribute marijuana. Manuel Pupo, aka Tata, was sentenced to 87 months in prison and ordered to pay $416,402 in restitution. Elieser Pupo was sentenced to 63 months in prison and ordered to pay $327,445 in restitution. Serguey Pupo was sentenced to 63 months in prison; a restitution hearing is scheduled in February 2010. Elmer Pupo aka Elmes, was sentenced to 63 months in prison and ordered to pay $327,445 in restitution. All defendants will serve five years of supervised release following their prison terms. According to court documents, the Pupos’ had houses in St. Lucie County, Miami-Dade County, and other parts of Florida which were set up as marijuana grow houses. The Pupos recruited caretakers/grow farmers, mostly immigrants, to maintain the grow houses. In the purchase of real estate, the Pupos and their associates caused mortgage companies to issue a total of 18 mortgages, by making false representations as to material facts in the mortgage applications. With regards to the money laundering charges, the Pupos conspired with others to conduct financial transactions involving the proceeds from the manufacturing and dealing in marijuana and mail fraud. The value of the laundered funds was between $200,000 and $400,000. The Pupos used the proceeds to pay the mortgages of the marijuana grow houses. In addition, the Pupos would give money to the marijuana grow farmers and request that the farmers return the money in the form of rent checks, which would be deposited into their accounts under the guise of rental income, for the purpose of concealing and disguising the nature, location, source, ownership, and control of the proceeds.
Life Sentences for Cocaine Trafficking and Money Laundering

On December 2, 2009, in McAllen, Texas, Mariano Alvarez, of Rio Grande City, Texas, and Eden Flores, Sr., of Mission and Palmview, Texas, both received lifetime sentences for their part in a cocaine trafficking conspiracy in addition to a maximum term of 20 years imprisonment, to be served concurrently, for laundering millions of dollars of drug proceeds. Alavarez and Flores were each also assessed $1 million fines. According to court records, hollowed out medical oxygen tanks were used to transport the cocaine. The modified medical oxygen tanks were transported in commercial vehicles that were specifically designed to transport hazardous materials. Two of the tanks, which were seized, contained a total of 217 kilograms of cocaine.
California Man Sentenced To Six Years in Prison for Marijuana Cultivating Operation

On November 25, 2009, in Oakland, Calif., Jordan Pyhtila, of Rio Dell, California was sentenced to 72 months in prison, to be followed by three years of supervised release, for maintaining a place to manufacture marijuana and conspiracy to launder money. Pyhtila pleaded guilty on May 27, 2009, admitting that he purchased and maintained property located in Humboldt County for the purpose of cultivating marijuana. According to the plea agreement, from 1999 through September 2008, Pyhtila also purchased or maintained pieces of property for the purpose of allowing others to manufacture marijuana. The defendant purchased real estate on which marijuana was cultivated, and financed real estate purchases by others who intended to use the land to cultivate marijuana. Pyhtila also financed many of the marijuana growing operations by providing funding for equipment, building materials, marijuana clones, fertilizer, wages for laborers and other expenses. The defendant received a portion of the profits from the sale of marijuana grown on these properties. The plea agreement also states that, from 1999 through September 2008, Pyhtila agreed to use the net profits from marijuana cultivation to fund the operations of his business, J&J Earthmoving, and to purchase numerous properties throughout Northern California. The purchases of the properties were made to conceal the net profits earned from financing the cultivation of marijuana. Nominee owners were used to hide the true ownership interest in these properties. As part of the plea agreement, Pyhtila agreed to forfeit interest in real property and his interest in a promissory note, in the amount of $945,000, that was obtained from the sale of a subdivision that he was developing in Rio Dell. Phytila’s co-defendant, Jessie Jeffries, of Garberville, Calif., was sentenced on October 28, 2009, to 72 months in prison on the same charges.
Washington State Man Sentenced to Life in Prison for Leading the Largest Drug Conspiracy at Turtle Mountain Indian Reservation

On November 10, 2009, in Fargo, N.D., Miguel Chavez was sentenced to life in prison for conspiracy to possess with intent to distribute a controlled substance, money laundering, conspiracy to use a communication facility to facilitate the distribution of a controlled substance, distribution of a controlled substance, conspiracy to commit identity theft, and continuing criminal enterprise. According to court documents, Chavez pleaded guilty to one count of conspiracy to posses with intent to distribute and was found guilty of the remaining six counts. Chavez imported more than 150 pounds of methamphetamine into North Dakota from Mexico and Eastern Washington. The financial investigation revealed that Chavez stole identities to facilitate his drug trafficking and money laundering scheme. The Chavez organization used bank accounts and money wires to conceal the hundreds of thousands in illegal proceeds generated by the organization. Twenty-three co-defendants were also indicted. The majority have been sentenced or are awaiting sentencing as part of the biggest conspiracy case on Turtle Mountain Indian Reservation.
Leader of Marijuana Trafficking Organization Sentenced to 20 Years in Prison

On October 27, 2009, in Columbus, Ohio, Donald Gene Dailey, Jr. was sentenced to 240 months in prison for leading a marijuana trafficking enterprise that grossed more than $10 million between March 2007 and March 2008. Dailey was also ordered to forfeit his interests in assets seized during the course of the investigation including eight houses, $4.2 million in cash, 83 firearms and 14 vehicles. Dailey pleaded guilty in March 2009 to conspiracy, drug, firearm and tax crimes. According to court documents, Dailey admitted that he recruited 20 other people to be part of the trafficking conspiracy between 2005 and up to Dailey’s arrest in 2008. The organization was responsible for trafficking between 10,000 and 30,000 kilograms of marijuana. In addition, Dailey failed to report income from his drug trafficking on his tax returns. Agents who executed search warrants at the home and in a recreational vehicle on Dailey’s property recovered more than $4 million in cash. Another $1.6 million was seized in December 2008 from a Huron County farm where it was buried.
Texas man sentenced to 160 months for drug trafficking

On October 19, 2009, in Sherman, Texas, Ray Robinson was sentenced to 160 months and federal prison and three years of supervised release on charges of money laundering and conspiracy to distribute methamphetamine, cocaine and ecstasy. According to court records, Robinson conspired with others to sell narcotics and then conceal the nature and source of the funds generated by their drug trafficking activities.
Ecstasy Trafficker Sentenced to 10 Years in prison on Money Laundering and Drug Charges

On October 29, 2009, in Baltimore, Md., Bum Gu Kim, of Odenton, Maryland, was sentenced to 120 months in prison followed by three years of supervised release, for conspiracy to distribute and possess with intent to distribute ecstasy and conspiracy to launder money. According to the plea agreement, from September 2006 until August 2007, Kim was involved in a conspiracy to distribute and possess with intent to distribute ecstasy. As part of the conspiracy, Kim made cash deposits at financial institutions on behalf of a co-conspirator, which were the proceeds from the sale of ecstasy. The deposits were used to pay off cash advances made on the co-conspirator’s personal credit cards at casinos in Buffalo, New York and Ontario, Canada. Those advances were used to purchase ecstasy. Over the course of the conspiracy, Kim and his co-conspirators are responsible for the distribution of more than 200 kilograms of ecstasy.
Leader of Cocaine Trafficking Conspiracy Related to Mexico’s Gulf Cartel Sentenced to 20 Years

On October 23, 2009, in Dallas, Texas, Hector Omero Rodriguez, aka “Guero” and “Papalote” of Allen, Texas, was sentenced to 20 years in prison. Rodriguez pleaded guilty in June 2009 to conspiracy to possess with the intent to distribute and distribution of cocaine and conspiracy to conduct money laundering. He and 20 co-defendants were indicted on charges related to their operation of a cocaine-trafficking cell, associated with Mexico’s Gulf Cartel that operated in and around the Dallas area. A total of 13 defendants have pleaded guilty and have been sentenced to prison terms ranging from 51 to 262 months. Three defendants have pleaded guilty and are awaiting sentencing. Four defendants remain fugitives. According to information presented in court, Rodriguez admitted that from November 2007 until the time of his arrest, he was a member of a drug trafficking and money laundering operation in North Texas and elsewhere. Rodriguez, and others in the organization, received large quantities of cash, including profits from the sale of cocaine, and in turn Rodriguez arranged to have that cash, secreted in tractor-trailers, shipped to Mexico.
Money Launderer Sentenced to More than 4 Years in Prison for Laundering Over $1.6 Million

On October 19, 2009, in Phoenix, Ariz., Rastislav Halcin, aka Pawel Okawa, a citizen of Slovakia, was sentenced to 52 months in prison for his role in laundering $1.629 million. Halcin pleaded guilty to conspiracy to commit money laundering. In his plea, Halcin admitted to laundering $390,000, but the court found that he actually laundered more than $1.629 million. According to court documents, Halcin received the funds from bank accounts throughout Europe for the purpose of providing it to other members of the organization to purchase cocaine in Arizona. He attempted to avoid detection by using several different banks in the Phoenix area to move the funds. The cocaine was then shipped from Arizona to the Chicago area. The drugs were either sold in Chicago or smuggled to Europe for distribution. Money would then be sent to Arizona to continue the illegal cycle.
Twenty-first Defendant in Minneapolis Drug Trafficking Operation is Sentenced

On October 22, 2009, in Minneapolis, Minn., the 21st defendant in a Minneapolis-based drug trafficking operation involving crack cocaine, ecstasy and marijuana was sentenced for his role in the organization. Mohammad Queadir Abdul-Ahad, of Minneapolis, was sentenced to 120 months in prison and five years of supervised release on one count of conspiracy to distribute and possession with intent to distribute controlled substances and one count of money laundering. The other 20 defendants have already been sentenced for their roles in the operation that ran from 1999 through May 6, 2008, and dealt with multiple grams of crack cocaine, marijuana and the semisynthetic psychedelic drug MDMA, commonly known as ecstasy.
Top-Ranking Members of the Mexican Mafia are Sentenced to Lengthy Prison Sentences

On October 2, 2009, in Lubbock, Texas, the two top-ranking members in command of the Mexican Mafia that operated in San Angelo and Abilene, Texas, were sentenced to lengthy prison sentences. Eduardo Sosa Martinez, Jr., a/k/a “Roro,” of San Angelo, was sentenced to 120 months in federal prison, to be followed by a lifetime of supervised release. Martinez, who held the ranks of Captain and Lieutenant and was responsible for managing the Mexican Mafia’s distribution of methamphetamine in San Angelo, Abilene, and throughout North Texas, pleaded guilty in June to one count of conspiring to possess with intent to distribute methamphetamine and one count of money laundering. Second in command, Sammy Garcia, a/k/a “Candyman,” of San Angelo, was sentenced to 210 months in federal prison. He pleaded guilty in May to distribution and possession with intent to distribute methamphetamine. Fifteen defendants, mostly members/associates of the Mexican Mafia, were charged in a 15-count federal indictment with various offenses related to their operation of a major methamphetamine trafficking operation in the Abilene and San Angelo, Texas areas, as well as throughout North Texas. All defendants have pleaded guilty to their roles; two defendants have not yet been sentenced.

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