Cops In CA Illegally Selling "Off List" Guns

[Zappa]

It seems California has an "approved roster" like Mass does, and cops there have figured out a way to profit from it:

Law enforcement officers may be illegally selling guns, ATF says

The head of the ATF’s office in Los Angeles has sent a memo to Southern California police chiefs and sheriffs saying the agency has found law enforcement officers buying and reselling guns in what could be a violation of federal firearms laws.

The memo from Eric Harden, the federal Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco and Firearms’ Los Angeles Field Division special agent in charge, describes the finding as an “emerging problem” and expresses concern about “the growing trend of law enforcement officials engaging in the business of unlicensed firearms dealing.”

He did not say how many officers the agency has found purchasing and reselling weapons, but the memo — dated March 31 — says some officers had bought more than 100 firearms. Some of the guns have been recovered at crime scenes.

But Harden wrote that the goal is “to educate, not investigate, to ensure law enforcement officials comply with federal law in order to avoid unnecessary public embarrassment to themselves and your department/agency.”

http://www.latimes.com/local/lanow/la-me-ln-illegal-gun-sales-20170412-story.html

His memo focuses on the purchase and resale of “off roster” firearms. Those are guns that are not on an approved list of weapons that can be sold to the public.

The California law establishing the roster has an exemption that allows sworn peace officers to purchase such weapons, and an additional one that allows officers to resell the guns under certain conditions. But if officers are buying and reselling weapons for profit as a business, they need a federal firearms license, or FFL.

 

[Rob Boudrie]

the goal is “to educate, not investigate, to ensure law enforcement officials comply with federal law

Sure wish the goal would be "educate, not investigate" if one of us peons violated 18USC922 technicality.

 

[IPSC_DRL]

Naw, they are "law officers" and would never engage in such activities..........

 

[TLB]

Rule list un-Constitional....problem solved.

 

[amm5061]

Gee, this whole thing sounds so very familiar.

 

[greencobra]

maybe they'll come this way looking for work after they get fired. my kind of law enforcement.

 

[42!]

Sure wish the goal would be "educate, not investigate" if one of us peons violated 18USC922 technicality.

beat me to it.
If a non-cop did this I somehow doubt the response would be a polite letter from the ATF to please stop.

 

[not new guy]

Are they alleging that these are straw purchases? Do straw purchases technically require a known downstream buyer at the outset?

 

[amm5061]

Are they alleging that these are straw purchases? Do straw purchases technically require a known downstream buyer at the outset?

ATF is saying they're doing this as a business for profit and that they need an FFL. Basically the volume of transactions is high enough that the ATF noticed and want their cut.

 

[mibro]

The California law establishing the roster has an exemption that allows sworn peace officers to purchase such weapons, and an additional one that allows officers to resell the guns under certain conditions.

No-one could have predicted this. There was just no way to foresee that this could happen.

 

[oldguy68]

Police are more special.
They get warnings..
We go to jail and become a prohibited person..

 

[Jarcese]

Soo pretty much exactly what officers do in MA?

Sent from my SM-G930P using Tapatalk

 

[not new guy]

ATF is saying they're doing this as a business for profit and that they need an FFL. Basically the volume of transactions is high enough that the ATF noticed and want their cut.

But of course the ATF knows full well that making them get an FFL will cause all of this activity to stop, as the cops presumably won't be able to run the transfers through the FFLs.

 

[JohnZ]

I'll bet they wholeheartedly supported the legislation that created the list because these guns were taking so many blue lives...

 

[Palladin]

http://www.latimes.com/local/lanow/la-me-ln-firearms-sales-20170415-story.html

 

[Bonesinium]

Putting aside the ridiculousness and unconstitutional factor of these lists to begin with for a second, if they didn't exempt cops and made the same rules apply to them, you know, no special privileges, this wouldn't be able to happen. But instead cops take advantage of a BS state law they are exempted from in order to profit in violation of federal law and face no repercussions. They get educated where a mere peon gets federal prison.

More te reason to eliminate all federal gun laws and the ATF. And LEO exemptions.

 

[robjax]

there should not be a list of banned guns.

 

[42!]

ATF looking closely at Pasadena (Sanctuary City). Coincidence? Somehow I doubt it.

There is only so much the fed can do legally about a self declared sanctuary city. But they can sure as hell look closely at how they follow fed law.

 

[Junior314]

After reading the story....

This is more about .gov not getting their piece of the pie on the sales than anything else. Cop didn't get arrested after guns were seized? Won't disclose why or who he is?
"Under state law, the results of the internal affairs review — including any discipline — will not be released to the public."

 

[Ely]

Putting aside the ridiculousness and unconstitutional factor of these lists to begin with for a second, if they didn't exempt cops and made the same rules apply to them, you know, no special privileges, this wouldn't be able to happen. But instead cops take advantage of a BS state law they are exempted from in order to profit in violation of federal law and face no repercussions. They get educated where a mere peon gets federal prison.

More te reason to eliminate all federal gun laws and the ATF. And LEO exemptions.

Silly Wabbit.... cops are exempt from most laws.

 

[spt_1955]

LMAO . ".... several of the transferred guns have been recovered at crime scenes". You can't make this stuff up.

 

[JohnZ]

LMAO . ".... several of the transferred guns have been recovered at crime scenes". You can't make this stuff up.

I wondered what was next for eric holder. It's good to see he's still in "public service" and all that talent will not go to waste.

 

[Palladin]

http://www.latimes.com/local/lanow/la-me-ln-pasadena-firearms-list-20170501-story,amp.html

more info...

 

[MachineHead]

http://www.latimes.com/local/lanow/la-me-ln-pasadena-firearms-list-20170501-story,amp.html

more info...

Firearms generally average about 10 years between the time of purchase and when they show up at a crime scene. If the window is shorter — for instance, three years — it triggers a red flag, Colbrun said.

If anyone here has had any gun for nearly ten years, I'd start to get pretty worried right about now. It's clearly going to walk up and show up at a crime scene.

Apparently, firearms are like crime scene cicadas.

 

[92G]

http://www.latimes.com/local/lanow/la-me-ln-pasadena-firearms-list-20170501-story,amp.html

more info...

this case is extra mirky. absolutely zero information. he is charged with nothing. total bullshit until they can actually provide some evidence he has committed a crime. until then all I see here is a search and seizure.

 

[snax]

Firearms generally average about 10 years between the time of purchase and when they show up at a crime scene. If the window is shorter — for instance, three years — it triggers a red flag, Colbrun said.

So, by stating this, they are saying "All guns are eventually used in crimes"
I would like to state:
"Automobiles average about 10 years between the time of purchase and when they show up at a drunk driving accident...."

 

[42!]

So, by stating this, they are saying "All guns are eventually used in crimes"
I would like to state:
"Automobiles average about 10 years between the time of purchase and when they show up at a drunk driving accident...."

No. What they are saying is that of the guns recovered at a crime scene, on average they were purchased (legally) 10 years prior.

There is enough BS out there without trying to twist words to make it sound extreme. It doesn't matter which side is doing this.

 

[amm5061]

http://www.latimes.com/local/lanow/la-me-ln-pasadena-firearms-list-20170501-story,amp.html

more info...

Federal agents seized about five dozen firearms worth tens of thousands of dollars from a high-ranking Pasadena police officer during a raid earlier this year, according to newly released government records.

On Sunday, a federal registry of potential forfeited assets listed 57 firearms that were seized from the home of Lt. Vasken Gourdikian

Only 57 guns? I'm pretty sure that more than a few people here can easily surpass that total.

 

[Zappa]

The cache of weapons was an enormous haul that took two trucks to cart away.

On Sunday, a federal registry of potential forfeited assets listed 57 firearms that were seized from the home of Lt. Vasken Gourdikian, who most recently served as the Pasadena Police Department’s spokesman and an adjutant to Chief Phillip L. Sanchez.

After the ATF raid, Gourdikian was placed on paid administrative leave, the Police Department launched an internal investigation and his biography was removed from the city’s website.

At Gourdikian’s four-bedroom home in the San Gabriel Valley, agents reported hauling off more than 30 pistols, three shotguns and 20 rifles, among other weapons. The arsenal included small handguns as well as such tactical weapons as a $1,700 Bushmaster combat rifle, the records show. The estimated value of each seized gun ranged from $100 to $3,800.

It took TWO Trucks to haul away 57 firearms ???

Is this a joke ???

I've seen more than that in the back of a single SUV at an NES shoot.

 

[amm5061]

It took TWO Trucks to haul away 57 firearms ???

Is this a joke ???

I've seen more than that in the back of a single SUV at an NES shoot.

Right??? And I'm sure they didn't bother packing them up properly to protect the firearms from damage. Probably just tossed them in the back of someone's pickup.