California college student busted on AW charges; had MySpace pics

[PinnedAndRecessed]

Posting mall ninja pictures on MySpace should not lead to SWAT teams outside your door early in the morning. Period.

No, and politicians shouldn't steal and women shouldn't lie. (A line from Bruce Willis in "The Last Boy Scout.") But this is the real world. And we'd better gear up for it.

Guns freak people out. They shouldn't but they do. And if we want to preserve our gun rights then we're going to have to be sensitive to the people who don't like guns. Not exercise our rights by intimidating them.

Or, on second thought, have it your way. Brandish your firearms and strive to look tacticool. Strut your stuff. Enough of you doing that, and in two generations, there won't be any more privately owned guns.

 

[crazed_ss]

Posting mall ninja pictures on MySpace should not lead to SWAT teams outside your door early in the morning. Period.

I dont think you guys understand the issue here. It's not the pictures alone.

He's in trouble because the pictures show him holding what the authorities believe to be illegal assault weapons. Im 99% sure that they are legally configured off-list rifles, but from the perspective of LE and the average joe, they look like illegal assault weapons. He took pictures of himself engaged in what LOOKS LIKE illegal activity.. of course his house is gonna get raided. I willing to bet most of the members on this board cant tell the difference between a legal CA Off-list AR-15 rifle and a banned AR-15.

They just passed a law this year such that DA can opt not to charge someone with a felony on AW charges.. they can claim the rifle is a public nuisance, confiscate it, and IIRC youll have to pay a fine. They still have the option of throwing the book at you if they want though.

 

[PinnedAndRecessed]

I dont think you guys understand the issue here. It's not the pictures alone.

He's in trouble because the pictures show him holding what the authorities believe to be illegal assault weapons.

Now, SS, you're trying to insert common sense into this thread. Something which is frowned on.

 

[crazed_ss]

DUPE.. sorry

 

[crazed_ss]

Here's a test..

Who can tell me which one of these is a legal CA AR Build and which one isnt. CA people dont answer!

This one

or

This one

 

[gunsmith]

I give up c ss...

which one? I cant tell at all!

oh btw, my myspace is far superior to his, he has Chemical Romance playing!
good grief!
what was he thinking?

 

[crazed_ss]

The first one is legal.. it has a fixed magazine and is built on an OLL. The second one would be illegal as it has a pistol grip and detachable mag. Even if it had a fixed-mag, it'd still be illegal because it's built on a banned RRA receiver.

Like I said, cops in Cali are not spun up on the intracacies of all this Off-List stuff. You post pics like that on myspace and you might as well be posting pics of yourself smoking crack.

 

[Mr.V.]

PinnedAndRecessed --

I agree that the best way to argue for our side is to befriend antis, argue politely, considerately, avoid argumentative fallacies, never mention the Nazis, and otherwise go out of our way to explain how firearms work, and interest them in taking up shooting sports.

That's all fine and good. And I try to abide by those rules as much as is humanly possible, but there are things, and certain freedoms, that will always disgust some people inherently. And for that we have a constitution.

If a minority group must always keep from doing things, rituals, etc so that the majority doesn't vote away their rights, we aren't living under a constitutionally protected society. We're living in tyranny.

Should gays never have "pride" parades because they're flaunting something that the majority of the country is uncomfortable with? Should "Blackwater Ops" not get to express his self and his personality freely even if it upsets some? I can go on and on with this. I'm just not sure I like your version of "that's reality."

In reality we do have a constitution that requires probable cause to obtain a search warrant. If california legal AR-15's look so similar to california illegal AR-15's then really one should argue, where's the probable cause to assume that what he has is an illegal one when many can be perfectly legal? The DOJ is WELL aware of the unlisted lower happenings...

A glock with a 10rd magazine looks identical to a glock with an illegal 15 round magazine. An M1A looks similar to an M14.

Lest you all think that this is only a nutty-Cali problem, all your AK-47 semis look just like illegal, full-auto AK-47s...Should, therefore, any person selling an AR-15 be stormed by SWAT before it's ascertained that the weapon is not an M16?

 

[crazed_ss]

Mr V -

Good point.. but REMEMBER, the DOJ hasnt approved any off-list build methods. Sure Bushmaster and some other companies have gotten "approval" but when you build your own CA AR, you do so at "your own legal peril" according to the DOJ.

The only thing they will concede to is that the receiver itself is legal. When people ask about fixed mags and creative grip ideas, the DOJ says some BS about "58's DAs" determining what's legal and what isn't.

The guy seemed really gung-ho about his stuff being legal on calguns, so maybe he'll take it to trial. If he were to win, we'd have some good case law on our side. From his myspace pics and the news reports, Im guessing he doesnt have the means to mount a good defense though. I bet the authorities will offer him some kind of deal.

Interestingly enough, I sorta predicted something this would happen to this guy two months ago. Notice I said, "We'll be hearing about you on the evening news."
http://www.calguns.net/calgunforum/showthread.php?t=48894&page=4 .. Seems I was right. At least he didnt try to put up a fight like he claimed he would. That would not have been pretty.

 

[Mr.V.]

Crazed_SS--

I mean...yeah, you're right... I certainly didn't buy one of those lowers for exactly the reasons you mentioned. Every forecast was pointing to rain at that parade.

On his side, however, I was thinking I'd like one of those neat, pistol grip stocks for my SKS, because the original stock's length of pull is goofy-ly short. But after reading the BATFE rules for requiring adding so many new U.S. made parts or I'd have manufactured an illegal rifle, I immediately canceled my stock order.

I didn't want the hassle, even if I had been fully compliant by replacing all those extra pieces, of being arrested for being out at a range with it, needing to prove my innocence under the presumption of guilt.

I'm not particularly proud of the fact that I didn't get the new stock out of fear from .gov, and I hope this guy gets off if his only real "crime" was assembling one of these things.

 

[ArmedBear]

On his side, however, I was thinking I'd like one of those neat, pistol grip stocks for my SKS, because the original stock's length of pull is goofy-ly short. But after reading the BATFE rules for requiring adding so many new U.S. made parts or I'd have manufactured an illegal rifle, I immediately canceled my stock order.

You have a detachable magazine on the SKS?

If you don't, I don't think that BATFE rules about that stuff applies. And if you do, you're already violating CA law anyway.

Re SKS modifications: http://www.simonov.net/uberlaw.htm

OLL's are quite legal, and assembling them legally is not a crime in California. The DOJ is simply balking at following through on a verdict that they lost in court.

How can I say that confidently? If the OLL business were illegal, it would be really easy to "bust" dealers at every gun show, and DOJ would certainly do it. OLL sales and legal CA-compliant AR assembly is going on in the light of day. One might ask whether it's worth the hassle and expense, but it's not hidden. DOJ knows all about it. They HAVE busted a dealer who brought in a large number of them, but that was for having insufficient secure storage space for them as required by law, not for the guns themselves. Had there been any chance of charging him with hundreds of counts of importing illegal firearms, you'd better believe they would have.

That doesn't mean that the DOJ won't hassle anyone who has not committed a crime. They're prosecuting attorneys, not your friends. In NC, Nifong trumped up and stuck to a known false rape charge, tried to get a conviction when he knew the charge was false! Why would you think that others in his position wouldn't do something far less extreme? They're just people. Well maybe not, actually. They're lawyers, and they're in politics.

This guy made some tactical errors, it seems. They might, as some have suggested, have had little to do with OLL's, and a lot to do with other suspected transactions.

And it IS illegal to build an AR here except within certain very strict limits: many common "features" of AR rifles are banned by law, and most common receiver brand names are banned as well.

 

[HonorsDaddy]

PinnedAndRecessed...

You said:

Want to lose all your gun rights? Then just terrorize America. Thanks for nothing.

Posting pictures on MySpace of your collection and wearing t-shirts with bombastic phrasing wont make a bit of a difference as to the status of the 2nd Amendment.

On the other hand, people like yourself, who insist we treat our firearms as if they were something we are embarrassed to own, have caused some pretty severe damage to our RKBA.

We've tried YOUR way for 30 years and look where it got us. Putting aside the whiny pathetic scared attitude you display is working now to roll back some of the damage people like yourself have done.

People like you make me sick.

 

[PinnedAndRecessed]

Posting pictures on MySpace of your collection and wearing t-shirts with bombastic phrasing wont make a bit of a difference as to the status of the 2nd Amendment.

Are you naturally stupid or is it merely a goal?

The kid who posted his guns on Myspace got busted. I'd say that's a big difference.

And you don't think that adds fuel to the antigunners claim? You don't think they'll perceive justification for demanding the abolition of all firearms?

I think you're a troll. Nobody who is truly concerned about the second amendment is that stupid. I think you're one of a legion that wants to stir things up in order to make gun owners look bad.

People like you make me sick.

 

[torpid]

I suggest chilling out and taking a breath.
It would be nice to keep this thread unlocked.

 

[araiford]

nevermind

 

[Derek Zeanah]

Tone down the personal attacks or face the consequences.

 

[Koos Custodiet]

I'm with the Rev. DeadCorpse.

The fact that the pro guys are in hiding is probably what makes the anti's believe that they're strong, and the fact that the pro guys are hiding is probably why there's no counter to the anti's believing that they're strong, so guess what -- the anti's are strong...

 

[Cosmoline]

All of you people so willing to throw this guy to the wolves. All for owning what should be perfectly legal firearms and committing no real crime.

My thoughts exactly. We ought to be attacking California's laws, not this guy.

you might as well be posting pics of yourself smoking crack.

I very much doubt that would get you arrested in California. It might get you elected, though. Crack smoking seems to be the prerequisite for passing laws down there.

 

[pcosmar]

HonorsDaddy, Welcome to the club. First I was a troll and now you.

I am not a troll.
I live Above The Bridge.

Is there any evidence that the offending photograph was even taken in Ca?

 

[HonorsDaddy]

PinnedAndRecessed...

What you, and others of the "We have a right to own guns as long as we dont offend anyone" crowd don't seem to understand is, being nice and playing the courtesy game is what has gotten us to where we are today.

You're wanting to "compromise" without stopping to realize that the other side has nothing to compromise WITH.

In a negotiation, both sides give something to get something, correct? Tell me - what has the anti-gun crowd given? What do they even have to offer?

There is no moral, legal or ethical reason to give in to any of their demands. Doing so merely grants them power they never had.

Having a right i cannot exercise or am forced to be embarrassed about is not a right at all.

 

[PinnedAndRecessed]

Mr V said,

I agree that the best way to argue for our side is to befriend antis, argue politely, considerately, avoid argumentative fallacies, never mention the Nazis, and otherwise go out of our way to explain how firearms work, and interest them in taking up shooting sports.

That's all fine and good. And I try to abide by those rules as much as is humanly possible, but there are things, and certain freedoms, that will always disgust some people inherently. And for that we have a constitution.

True. What I am addressing is a tendency by some of these posters to insist upon pushing perception to the limit. Like a bunch of rebellious teenagers.

You know the type. Mommy and Daddy tell them to be home at ten on Friday night. Which is probably unfair. At least, it was when I was a teenager.

So, Junior shows them he'll not be told what to do. So he stays out all night.
He's asking for trouble and usually gets it.

These posters insist upon drawing a line in the sand, challenging the antigunners to step across. That's stupid. Then the antigunners congregate in the halls of Congress and conclude we're all like that.

I don't want that radical mentality representing me. Nor do you.

Fight for your rights. But fight smart. And behaving in a deliberately antogonistic way is not smart.

 

[PinnedAndRecessed]

You're wanting to "compromise" without stopping to realize that the other side has nothing to compromise WITH.

You guys aren't reading my posts. I'm not compromising anything. I still have guns and will continue to do so.

What I will not do, however, is to brandish those guns in an inappropriate manner. And posting pictures of myself in military garb, with slogans like, "kill them all, let God sort them out", that's inappropriate.

Non gun people are scared of what happened at VT. All I'm saying is back off with the Rambo posturing.

 

[Derek Zeanah]

Here's my issue: the reason the RKBA is as strong in this country as it is ("sporting purpose" clauses notwithstanding) is that the founders of our nation saw great value in an armed populace. Not "a high percentage of self-sufficient hunters," not "shooting sports build character," not "guns are a great deterrent to crime," but "we need to maintain the ability to overthrow the government if it turns against us again."

I won't lie, this is scary stuff. But that's what the 2nd Amendment's for dammit. We need to stop pussyfooting around the issue and pretending it's somehow OK to limit sales and ownership of full auto firearms, or that guys dressing up like Blackwater contractors is somehow an unacceptable thing.

Radical maybe. Uncomfortable probably. Scary to non-gunnies sure. But that's what our founders would have him doing.

Personally? I'm a bit disappointed with the "don't scare people" mentality -- that's arguing that legal open carry should never be performed because it might upset folks. That talking as we are here should somehow be frowned upon, as we want to seem "reasonable" to those who would disarm us.

Here's the thing: I don't feel like being reasonable any more. Government needs to remember why our right to be armed was specifically protected in the first place. If some Governor sees a photos of his constituents armed with combat proven weapons, wearing LBEs, radios, night vision, and armor and becomes frightened by that, then I think it's a good thing. I hope it's a deterrence.

If not, maybe it's a reminder. And if it's not either, and it's just another incentive to disarm the population and we can't counter it, then we don't deserve to be armed.

 

[Cosmoline]

You know the type. Mommy and Daddy tell them to be home at ten on Friday night. Which is probably unfair. At least, it was when I was a teenager.

I understand the point of not poking the dragon, but there's a there's a serious problem with this line of thinking. The state, least of all the state of California, isn't anyone's mommy or daddy. And we shouldn't lose sight of the fact that none of these laws should be allowed on the books in the first place. It's the difference between power and authority. They have the power to pass draconian anti-gun laws, and until a court stands up to them they'll get away with it. But that doesn't mean they have the authority to pass or enforce these laws. Zeanah's Giuliani quote goes right to the heart of this distinction.

I would agree that there are probably more effective protests than hanging yourself on myspace. Faking a myspace page to cause problems and embarrasment for their law enforcement agents would be one option (ie all airsoft guns). Another would be flooding their gun report hotlines with anonymous reports of men walking around with openly carried firearms. Men who happen to be police officers.

 

[AZTOY]

From KNBC.com

Student Charged In Alleged Possession, Sales Of Assault Weapons

POSTED: 11:18 am PDT April 30, 2007
UPDATED: 11:26 am PDT April 30, 2007
Email This Story | Print This Story
Sign Up for Breaking News Alerts
LOS ANGELES -- A 23-year-old student leader at East Los Angeles College was charged Monday
with multiple felony counts accused of possessing and selling assault weapons from his Monterey Park home.

Matthew Arthur Corwin, associate president of the student union, is scheduled to be arraigned Monday
afternoon in Alhambra Superior Court, said Deputy District Attorney Richard Sullivan, head deputy of the
Alhambra office.

Corwin is charged with five counts of unlawful assault weapon sales, four counts of unlawful possession
of assault weapons, two counts of possession of a deadly weapon and one count of receiving stolen property.
All of the counts are felonies.

Corwin was arrested at his home last Thursday night after Los Angeles County sheriff's deputies and federal
agents from the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives and the Defense Department served
search warrants.

Authorities said they confiscated numerous assault weapons, a military identification, a bulletproof vest
and a military chemical suit.

Corwin allegedly posted photos of several unregistered assault weapons on his MySpace Web site,
according to officials.

Corwin remained jailed, and prosecutors were asking that his bail be set at $365,000.