When this case first appeared, at the height of the first exposure of the Fast and Furious scandal, it was portrayed as an example of smuggling to the Mexican cartels that was not a part of the operation. It might or might not be significant that the BATFE agent quoted in the article is William Newell, who had a significant role in Fast and Furious, and whose testimony before Congress became infamous. Now, one of the victims of the prosecution is able to tell a bit of his story . . .
Ian Garland was denied bail from the time he was arrested. His release a few weeks ago was because of falsification of evidence by either the BATFE or the prosecution. There’s a lesson here for those who feel they are up against a political prosecution. Cop a plea deal because of tremendous pressure from the prosecution and you may get hammered anyway. From the lcsun-news.com:
EL PASO >> A former gun shop owner who was convicted of conspiring with officials from Columbus, N.M., to smuggle weapons into Mexico is out of prison after successfully appealing the sentencing guidelines for his case.
Ian Garland, former owner of the now defunct Chaparral Guns store, initially was sentenced to 60 months in prison, mainly because the weapons attributed to him in the smuggling case were characterized as “machine guns,” when they were not automatic weapons, according to court documents.
Garland doesn’t have a tape of the BATFE interactions, as do other gun shops that were involved in Fast and Furious. His records were all confiscated during the prosecution. Because he dealt with the prosecutors for a plea bargain, he was not able to tell his side of the story until now. He contends that the sales he made were not “straw purchases” under the law, and the paper mentions that a case about what constitutes a straw purchase is under consideration…and may make it to the Supreme Court.
Nonetheless, the writer is unequivocal about calling the sales straw purchases. No “alleged” here. This is an approved “gun crime” and the “perpetrator” is a gun dealer to boot.
Garland contends that the government should never have prosecuted him for facilitating the straw purchases of numerous weapons because he did nothing wrong.
“I’ve sold guns to people who are in law enforcement, and in the case of the Columbus, New Mexico, group, I sold guns to officials like the mayor and police chief, who were legally able to make such purchases,” Garland said. “They kept making purchases, and when I asked why they wanted them, they said that they were also buying guns for their families to protect themselves against the drug cartel.”
Garland said he filled out the correct paperwork required for firearms purchases, including the background checks, and submitted forms that the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives required.
“If anything, during an audit of my records, the ATF told me I was over-documenting my transactions,” Garland said. “I told them everything that was going on, and they (ATF) told me to keep on selling (the firearms).”
We already know that someone on the prosecution side lied about the evidence. That’s why Garland was released. If they lied about that, why should we trust them about anything else that they’ve said? It’s not as if the BATFE and the Eric Holder justice department have a sterling reputation for always telling the truth and cooperating with investigations into wrong doing.
It’s also clear that if Garland is telling the truth, the BATFE and the prosecution had tremendous incentive to lie, to cover up, and to silence him by keeping him in jail. If this case is part of Fast and Furious, then the scandal is that much broader and that much worse. Using false evidence to put someone in jail for long periods just piles it higher and deeper.
©2013 by Dean Weingarten: Permission to share is granted when this notice is included.
of course, Detroit still needs to address this stupidity on its city council:
http://www.detroitnews.com/article/20140110/METRO01/301100080/Police-Cops-who-pulled-Cushingberry-over-wanted-arrest-him?odyssey=tab|topnews|text|FRONTPAGE
I am hoping the emergency manager “defunds” the position to push this moron out
This kind of government misconduct for political gain is not uncommon. Just ask the family of the late Senator Ted Stevens.
But does it have the beguiling scent of Hoppe’s?
Wait…
I sold guns to officials like the mayor and police chief
The Mayor and the Police Chief were Fast & Furious “straw purchasers”?
If recollections serves, they were just regular old fashioned straw purchasers who were selling guns to the cartels who ATF declined to prosecute until the scandal blew up in their faces.
And then there’s that little, annoying “Contempt of Congress” matter…
I’ve carried in Seattle libraries before this rules changed, based simply on the state law the and the lawsuit that the city lost about attempting to ban concealed carry in parks.
Well, Chris, it did entice you to write a story about it… which, in turn caused me to spend almost 2 minutes of my life watching the video. I now know that a company called “Primary Weapons” apparently makes ARs, which I may or may not have already known. So, I’m not grabbing for my credit card just yet, but it does help with name recognition.
To some folks, guns are loud and librarians as a whole do want a lot of noise in their nest. I suppose suppressors should be required?
“….libraries are prime targets for random violence and that guns may escalate confrontations.” !!!!, I’m stunned by this sentence. The absence of law abiding gun-toters certainly won’t DE-escalate any random violence, now will it?
Just remember that these are libraries that you have a legal right to look at p0rn on the taxpayer computers and in the children’s section because of 1st Amendment issues. Yes, they have had people who have done that as well and even had people who have “enjoyed” themselves, clothed mind you, to such displays as well.
So to see the knickers get into a twist over CCW abiding by the law means, but not about people looking at p0rn because of the bill of rights; well that leads me to some word which begins with an H and ends in -crites.
Good! This idiot (if people want to call him a clown, I can’t disagree) forced the mall’s hand and now they posted signs banning concealed carry! If those signs are compliant, everyone who carries gets to decide whether they need to avoid the mall or become a criminal.
http://www.beaumontenterprise.com/default/article/Mall-posts-signs-barring-guns-after-rifle-incident-5131044.php
Some of you people really don’t get it. This stuff does NONE of us any good. So yeah, I hope his CHL gets taken away and I hope he loses his FFL too. This @#$% needs to stop.
These type of ads don’t do much for me. I really enjoy games like Fallout and some other post apocalyptic type games and movies. There are probably a few people the romanticise about it and think it would be cool to live in that reality. I am sure they would grow quickly tired of it as every day is a search for food and clean water. In essence, a return to human existence prior to society and communities. I would much rather live like I do now with plentiful food at the supermarket, easy energy, cars, and the internet.
It seems like the ad is riding the post apocalyptic coattails of the zombie apocalypse craze. Although maybe their message is if the SHTF then you will want one of our rifles in your hands?
I picked up a couple ATI polymer lowers a few years back under the assumption that they wouldn’t last forever. I put together a lightweight hunter with a 18″ 6.5 Grendel barrel, and as many light plastic bits as I could find. Came in around 6something lbs on the bathroom scale, shoots wonderfully, and is nice to carry through the woods all day. If the lower breaks, I transfer my parts to the next one. Too bad this wasn’t around a few years ago, I might just pick one of these up if my ATI ever dies.
Also- looks like they have some 7.62/308 rifles planned. Sweet!
“The Great Unveiling Is At Hand!”
Clinging to our guns and Qurans.
Bringing the term “Bitter Clingers” to a whole new level. Still waiting for delivery of the “Real Desert” camouflage burka.
That’s gotta impact your situation awareness.
Future average British citizen before her first date.
Nice photography! I’m a big fan of kydex holsters.