Posted on 04/29/2014 5:57:28 PM PDT by smokingfrog
A Los Angeles County sheriff's deputy has agreed to plead guilty to illegally building an assault rifle, marking the first plea agreement by one of 20 sheriff's officials charged or indicted since December in an ongoing federal investigation of the Sheriff's Department, authorities said Monday.
Richard White Piquette admitted in a document filed in federal court last week that he manufactured a Noveske Rifleworks N-4 .223-caliber rifle with an eight-inch barrel. Under federal law, the rifle's barrel length should have been at least 16 inches, said Thom Mrozek, a spokesman for the U.S. attorney's office in Los Angeles.
The charge carries up to 10 years in prison. Piquette could formally enter his plea as early as this week, though his sentencing will take place at least several weeks later, Mrozek said.
Piquette, who was previously assigned to the Twin Towers Correctional Facility, also admitted possessing a shotgun that had been stolen from the Sheriff's Department and three assault weapons that are banned under California law, according to the plea agreement. The deputy was not charged in connection with those weapons, but his admission will probably affect his sentence.
As part of Piquette's agreement with federal prosecutors, a separate charge of possessing an unregistered short-barreled rifle will be dropped and Piquette must resign from the Sheriff's Department.
(Excerpt) Read more at latimes.com ...
a barrel of monkeys
I could have moved to California. But I chose not to. because of their ridiculous gun laws. Just sayin’.
“...and three assault weapons that are banned under California law.”
In other words, three semi-automatic rifles.
Gee, if he’d waited a few days 0 would have outfitted the entire dept. with all varieties of assault weapons and vehicles to take down Mr. and Mrs. US citizen and their family pets.
His crime was not building an assault rifle (when the term is used properly it means a carbine capable of full auto fire) he made a SBR- short barrel rifle.
He's being prosecuted by the feds.
If you want to be technical his crime was failure to pay a tax stamp for the NFA rifle.
Interesting how the LA Slimes seems to intentionally confuse “assault rifle” with NFA firearms. (Not that I agree with the BATFE’s treatment of the latter.)
>>Piquette’s attorney, Ronald Hedding, described his client as “a good man” who has family members in law enforcement. Hedding said he believed it was common practice for sheriff’s deputies to have weapons like the ones his client possessed.
“A lot of these criminals are carrying these types of weapons on the street,” Hedding said, adding that Piquette was a jail deputy but had done training stints on patrol.<<
We’re supposed to weep because the cops don’t have what the criminals have?
I should have included that. Thanks.
Not an assault rifle but. SBR short barreled rifle a bit of leftovers from FDR. NFA 1934
Please don’t interrupt a Cali bashing thread with facts when the poster is just getting on a roll.
I assume he could have bought the barrel legitimately and installed it on an AR pistol, but his crime was that the gun had a buttstock?
Does that mean California’s gun laws aren’t completely ridiculous? Should I move out there with my complete firearm collection?
If ever there was a state that deserved to be bashed....
Sure and don’t let facts get in the way!
what facts would that be? I was just pointing out that anyone who cherishes their RKBA would be ill advised to reside in California regardles sof the facts of this case.
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