I’ve read the guy that ran the wildlife place had a prison record. If ex-cons are not allowed to own dangerous weapons, then why was he allowed to own lions/tigers/bears. All he had to do is open cages and walk away.
The reason the guy "had a prison record" is because he had a mistaken notion that the original intent of the Founders was that peasants could have the same weaponry as the military...
They threw the guy in jail because he had "machine guns" and "a sniper rifle".