Free Republic
Browse · Search
News/Activism
Topics · Post Article

Skip to comments.

Fredericksburg, Texas Man Pleads Guilty to Attempting to Smuggle AR-15 Rifles Into Mexico
Houston Chronicle/PRN ^ | April 4, 2007

Posted on 04/04/2007 10:36:13 AM PDT by SwinneySwitch

SAN ANTONIO -- United States Attorney Johnny Sutton announced that 22-year-old Greg Anthony Belcik of Fredericksburg, Texas, faces up to ten years in federal prison after pleading guilty late yesterday afternoon to attempting to export five AR-15 rifles to Mexico without U.S. State Department authorization.

On the morning of December 10, 2006, Belcik arrived at the Eagle Pass, Texas Port of Entry (Bridge 1) intending to enter Mexico. During an outbound inspection of his vehicle, authorities recovered five AR-15 rifles secreted inside a speaker box.

Belcik remains on a $30,000 bond pending sentencing. Sentencing is scheduled for 2:30 p.m. on August 13, 2007, before United States District Judge Alia Ludlum.

This case was investigated by the United States Immigration and Customs Enforcement and the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives. Assistant United States Attorney Robert Brady, Jr., is prosecuting this case on behalf of the Government.

Contact: Shana Jones, Special Assistant Daryl Fields, Information Officer (210)384-7440


TOPICS: Crime/Corruption; Foreign Affairs; Mexico; US: Texas
KEYWORDS: banglist; texas; wot
He should get 6 attempts before doing any prison time, Johnny. /sarc
1 posted on 04/04/2007 10:36:16 AM PDT by SwinneySwitch
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | View Replies]

To: prairiebreeze; Dr. Marten; mickie; digerati; Robert Drobot; GOPPachyderm; Issaquahking; ...

Gun runner ping!

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


2 posted on 04/04/2007 10:40:24 AM PDT by SwinneySwitch (Terroristas-beyond your expectations!)
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 1 | View Replies]

To: SwinneySwitch

He’s lucky he was caught by the Americans rather than the Mexicans.

I don’t think there are any “Club Feds” in Mexico to say the least.


3 posted on 04/04/2007 10:40:27 AM PDT by garyhope (It's World War IV, right here, right now courtesy of Islam.)
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 1 | View Replies]

To: garyhope

My first thought, too.

But a good number of Mexican cops are as crooked as they come. If those rifles made it across the border, they may have easily made it to the drug cartels.


4 posted on 04/04/2007 10:55:57 AM PDT by SJSAMPLE
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 3 | View Replies]

To: SwinneySwitch
22-year-old Greg Anthony Belcik of Fredericksburg, Texas, faces up to ten years in federal prison

Just don't shoot any drug-dealers in the butt, or Johnny will put you away for some real time.

5 posted on 04/04/2007 10:58:42 AM PDT by SamuraiScot
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 1 | View Replies]

To: SwinneySwitch

He’s probably lucky they caught him instead of the Mexicans. US federal pens are much nicer than Mexican prisons.


6 posted on 04/04/2007 11:08:52 AM PDT by PAR35
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 1 | View Replies]

To: SwinneySwitch
That’s bad, very bad. I also did something awful with my AR-15 and I want to confess it right here. I sold it back in 1994 to help pay for an engagement ring for my Wife. Easy on me please, I was not thinking ratioanlly. I could of got a temporary second job, I could of asked my boss for a raise, I could of traded my vehicle in for a moped, but noooooooooooo. How I miss it. To replace it today would cost me 3 or 4 times what I paid for it. I still have a picture of it - but along with the pictures of my old girlfriends its in a dusty old box in the attic. There must be a support group for people suffering from this.
7 posted on 04/04/2007 11:29:00 AM PDT by NavyCanDo
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 1 | View Replies]

To: NavyCanDo
I think you are misinformed. ARs do not cost 5 times what they did in 1996, costs, if anything, have gone down. With the end of the useless, hated, Democratic AWB you can now configure your AR however you want: folding stock, flash hider, bayonet lug, whatever. A good solid AR from a leading manufacturer can be had for as little as $600 bucks. That's not cheap, but it's not 5 times the '96 rate either. Also, the AR-10 is now available from two big guys: Armalite and DPMS in addition to Knight's Manufacturing. They go for about $1000. Prices on DMPS HERE
8 posted on 04/04/2007 11:45:51 AM PDT by Jack Black
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 7 | View Replies]

To: NavyCanDo

I sold all of my weapons to pay my taxes.

Don’t bother on a no-knock raid......nothing to see here.


9 posted on 04/04/2007 11:55:48 AM PDT by Eaker (Free The Texas 3 - Ramos, Compean and Hernandez)
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 7 | View Replies]

To: Jack Black
I got mine in 1980 while in the Navy. I purchased it from the ships Gun Club for $420 (about a months pay then)

I may have exaggerated the price a little, the last I seen one on the Gun store wall they were going for the mid $800’s. If you can still find them for around $600 I just may consider buying another someday. Heck I paid that for a new Spyder ski jacket this last winter. It wasn't the most reliable gun in the world, but man was it fun to shoot, and the ammo was dirt cheap.

10 posted on 04/04/2007 11:56:42 AM PDT by NavyCanDo
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 8 | View Replies]

To: SwinneySwitch

Something smells fishy here. Maybe I have crossed at all the wrong places. I have never seen anyone searched on the American side going into Mexico. I have seen Americans searched in Mexico but not on the American side going into Mexico. This is the reason so many stolen cars end up in Mexico as there is no search going into Mexico on the American side.

This is also the reason there are so many illegals in the U.S. as they cross with their visas “shopping cards” and are never checked going back to Mexico.


11 posted on 04/04/2007 11:59:15 AM PDT by texastoo ("trash the treaties")
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 1 | View Replies]

To: texastoo

1-800-TIPS. I’m betting somebody got a cash reward.


12 posted on 04/04/2007 12:53:49 PM PDT by WTSand
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 11 | View Replies]

To: texastoo

“Something smells fishy here.”

I’m thinking somebody tipped them off.


13 posted on 04/04/2007 12:54:20 PM PDT by SwinneySwitch (Terroristas-beyond your expectations!)
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 11 | View Replies]

To: SwinneySwitch

I can see him getting into trouble with Mexican authorities by doing this, but what US law has he violated?


14 posted on 04/04/2007 1:06:45 PM PDT by BlazingArizona
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 1 | View Replies]

To: BlazingArizona

“...attempting to export five AR-15 rifles to Mexico without U.S. State Department authorization.”


15 posted on 04/04/2007 1:45:26 PM PDT by SwinneySwitch (Terroristas-beyond your expectations!)
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 14 | View Replies]

To: SwinneySwitch; WTSand

It would be interesting to know which side of the border the tip came from. This is where the countries should have worked together to get both guilty parties. Uh oh, that would involve cartels and we don’t want to get involved with them.


16 posted on 04/04/2007 2:23:07 PM PDT by texastoo ("trash the treaties")
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 13 | View Replies]

To: texastoo

I’d bet on the US side. The fix was probably in on the Mexican side. “La mordida” works for the border guards too.


17 posted on 04/04/2007 2:33:45 PM PDT by WTSand
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 16 | View Replies]

To: texastoo

Yeh, it surely does. Does the guy work for Sen. Feinstein?


18 posted on 04/04/2007 2:58:35 PM PDT by Neo-Luddite
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 11 | View Replies]

To: SJSAMPLE
"... Mexican cops are as crooked as they come. If those rifles made it across the border, they may have easily made it to the drug cartels."

Why do you suppose he was smuggling those rifles down there?
To sell to law-abiding taco vendors???

19 posted on 04/05/2007 1:13:23 PM PDT by Redbob
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 4 | View Replies]

Disclaimer: Opinions posted on Free Republic are those of the individual posters and do not necessarily represent the opinion of Free Republic or its management. All materials posted herein are protected by copyright law and the exemption for fair use of copyrighted works.

Free Republic
Browse · Search
News/Activism
Topics · Post Article

FreeRepublic, LLC, PO BOX 9771, FRESNO, CA 93794
FreeRepublic.com is powered by software copyright 2000-2008 John Robinson