Councilman pleads guilty in gun charge [machine gun]

Texarkana Gazette ^ | 3-31-10 | AP story

[smokingfrog]

An east Arkansas city councilman pleaded guilty Tuesday to illegally possessing an unregistered machine gun, telling a federal judge that he had the weapon because he was working on it for the local police department.

John Henry Parker pleaded guilty to one count of illegally possessing a Glock machine gun. As part of a plea deal, federal prosecutors dropped a charge of illegally possessing a Ruger .22-caliber rifle equipped with a silencer.

Parker was indicted in February 2008 along with former Wheatley police chief Dallas Edward Brogdon. Prosecutors have accused the pair of using the Wheatley Police Department as a front to illegally buy machine guns, but said the two weren’t trying to sell them or use the guns illegally. Federal law prohibits citizens from possessing machine guns.

Prosecutor Robert Govar said federal agents searched Parker’s home in February 2007 and found the machine gun and the unlicensed rifle with a silencer. Parker testified Tuesday that he only had the machine gun for a day before agents seized it. Parker said he was inserting a laser inside the pistol and doing other work on the gun.

“It was under the couch where I was working on it the night before while watching TV,” he said.

Parker, who resigned from the Palestine-Wheatley School Board after the indictment, will also be forced off the Palestine City Council because state law prohibits felons from serving in elected office.

He faces a maximum of 10 years in prison and a fine of $250,000, though Eisele said sentencing guidelines suggested a sentence of 18-24 months in prison.

[from occupied ga]

Another phony “crime” with real punishment for nothing

[ButThreeLeftsDo]

Sub-machine gun.....

[tet68]

“It was under the couch where I was working on it the night before while watching TV,”

I always work on mine under the couch...

I doubt it was an unregistered .22 but the silencer
that was untaxed/unpapered.

[Secret Agent Man]

So much BS in this story.

First of all federal laws don’t prevent people from owning a machine gun. You can if you go through the paperwork hoops and pay the taxes. Same with the silencers, it’s a tax stamp with the silencers.

Second the guy got off extremely light. This is the kind of stuff F-troop lives to catch a dealer doing (and no smart ones would without the licenses) so they could shut him down.

Third you need to have licesnses just to work on machine guns and silencers. This guy is damn, damn lucky and he caught a break no regular person could catch. They’d be locked up on felonies and that’s that.

[Jack Black]

Meanwhile, I read that somewhere down on the border someone put up one of thoss game cameras and got pix of 700 people crossing in one 24 hour period.

Seems to me that there might be more useful things for our fearless law enforcement officers to spend time on.

[Secret Agent Man]

Yeah, like connecting a well-fed traquilizer gun to that border camera, and giving a few guards a purpose in life. Whoever takes down the most illegals each night gets a $50 bonus.

[Gilbo_3]

he prolly builds ships in bottles on the side...8^}

fargin Amerken Pravda...

[Gilbo_3]

dang Jack, dont give em ideas...theyll be rounding up them cameras and put em to use busting people for ‘poachin’ the deer outta their victory gardens...

[white17x]

I just emailed the editor about the phony “illegal for citizens to possess machineguns” line. Even though it’s an AP article they should at least check before they print.

All the staff email addresses are available under ‘Contact us’

[matthew fuller]

"John Henry Parker pleaded guilty to one count of illegally possessing a Glock machine gun."

When did Glock start making machine guns?

[smokingfrog]

Glock 18

[matthew fuller]

I just found out about the Glock 18. I guess that I’m not staying very current.

[Rembrandt]

No ID as to political party meaning, I guess, he’s a member of the party of peace and understanding, the DemonRatz.

[Daaave]

The automatic version of the Glock 17, called Glock 18, available only in 9mm Luger and only for Military/Law enforcement sales.

Glock 18 can fire in semi-automatic or fully automatic modes. The pistol may be equipped with 31-rounds extended magazines and after-market folding stocks.

For security reasons, some parts of the Glock 18 are not interchangeable with Glock 17 pistols. The theoretical rate of fire in full-auto mode is 1200 rounds per minute.

Glock 18 in action

Baretta makes a similar gun, the 93R. If you've seen 'Robocop,' you've the 93R in action.

[smokingfrog]

[Dan Nunn]

First of all federal laws don’t prevent people from owning a machine gun. You can if you go through the paperwork hoops and pay the taxes. Same with the silencers, it’s a tax stamp with the silencers.

True, but no tax stamp has been issued for machine guns since 1986 (though pre-1986 pre-bans are transferable). That this was a fully auto "Glock" makes me believe that it's not a licensed machine gun.

But nuances aside, you're right.

[Doomonyou]

That’s a lot of human right there. LOL.

[ctdonath2]

First of all federal laws don’t prevent people from owning a machine gun.

IF it was made _before_ 1986.

Only a half-dozen full-auto Glocks were legal then, and none can legally registered since then. IIRC those "transferrable" G18s run about a quarter-million dollars. No, I'm not kidding.

No, he doesn't "work on" NFA items registered to the police department (probably Form 10 transfers, short of a Title II FFL he'd never be allowed to touch them) and have such things end up under the couch.

Yes, the suppressor could have been legal with only (!) a $200 tax + paperwork.

Yes, a proper Title II license ($1000/yr fee + insane paperwork) does allow such repair work.

Yes, he's very lucky if he doesn't face 10 years + $250,000 fine. NFA violations are near the top of crimes the gov't takes seriously (easily beating out routine murders & rapes).

[Secret Agent Man]

I’m aware of the details. I was just answering the general statement made by the reporter and that was a lie, namely that it’s illegal to own a machine gun. It isn’t. I just didn’t go into any greater detail, as I didn’t want to turn it into a whole gun history lecture.