Teacher Accused Of Selling Assault Weapons

Status
Not open for further replies.
C

Combat-wombat

Member
Joined
Jan 2, 2003
Messages
1,683
http://www.local10.com/news/4647290/detail.html?subid=22100404&qs=1;bp=t

NORTH MIAMI BEACH, Fla. -- Federal agents arrested a South Florida elementary school teacher Thursday on suspicion of selling assault rifles to a convicted felon.



Investigators said one of the weapons sold was an AK-47 similar to this one.
Agents said Michael Garrison, who's a third-grade teacher at Madie Ives Elementary in North Miami Beach, sold an AK-47, a .308 caliber assault rifle and a 7.62 mm assault rifle to a known felon. Agents said he knew the weapons would be used in violent crimes.

Garrison will appear in Federal court Tuesday.

A Local 10 News crew stopped by Garrison's house, but no one answered the door.

"He seemed like he was a very nice, intelligent young man," said one neighbor. "He didn't bother nobody around here."

Officials said Garrison's prosecution was a result of the Street Terror Offender Program, or STOP, a joint federal, state effort which targets armed and violent felons who would trade in guns.

Garrison is facing six different criminal counts. If convicted, he could face significant prison time and a $250,000 fine.
 
"We need to restrict private party sales in FL and make all weapons go thru federally licensed dealers where they can be properly registered!"

:rolleyes: :banghead:
 
So from what I read the teacher was arrested for knowingly selling firearms to be used for criminal intent to a person he probably knew was a felon.

Does it really make a difference what type of gun he sold, or probably actually straw purchased.
 
Regardless of what federal law says, I would have no moral problem selling a gun to a known felon.

As has been discussed here before, the felon is responsible for his actions after he has the gun, not me. Nor is the government.

If the person can't be trusted to possess a firearm, then probably that person can't be trusted with a knife, either. Maybe that person can't be trusted at all.

So, if the felon can't be trusted not to harm others, then why is he allowed to be in public unescorted?
 
ALEX45acp: We have ENOUGH laws on the books No more needed. He chose to break the LAWS that are already on the books Do you think saying people must use a FFL is going to stop selling. Move to real word Criminals and wantabe criminals don't worry about stupid gun laws.
 
I have no problem with him selling a gun to a known felon. But if he knew the guns would be used for criminal activities, then I would certainly have a problem with it...
 
if he knew it was gunna be used for criminal purposes they should
hang him up high (and let him swing till the sun goes down)
folks doin that gives all of us a bad name and gives fuel to the anti-gun fire

thats just the way i see it tho
 
ALEX45acp: We have ENOUGH laws on the books No more needed. He chose to break the LAWS that are already on the books Do you think saying people must use a FFL is going to stop selling. Move to real word Criminals and wantabe criminals don't worry about stupid gun laws.
Click to expand...

I was being sarcastic.
 
Agents said he knew the weapons would be used in violent crimes.
Click to expand...
So chances are that he may also be charged with additional counts of conspiracy (in general), conspiracy to commit whatever crimes the felon intended to commit, aiding/abetting, and so on.
Regardless of what federal law says, I would have no moral problem selling a gun to a known felon.

As has been discussed here before, the felon is responsible for his actions after he has the gun, not me.
Click to expand...
You would very likely be deemed responsible for entering into a conspiracy or at least for aiding and abetting him to commit further crimes (likely violent crimes). While you may not consider yourself in anyway responsible for his actions with guns he bought from you, the courts would likely find you criminally liable and civilly liable simnply because he would not have had the guns had he not gotten them from you, you knew it was illegal to sell him these firearms, and because you knew what he intended to do with them which was to commit rimes while armed. So chances are if you had sold these guns to a felon and knew the same, you would be charged along those lines.

So, if the felon can't be trusted not to harm others, then why is he allowed to be in public unescorted?
Click to expand...
Actually he was being trusted, that is the whole idea behind parole and probation. There is no crystal ball available to tell justice officials if a prisoner will turn bad again or go straight. He quite possibly was out because someone actually did trust him. A key element of trust is that you have faith in another to do whatever it is they are supposed to do. Faith is a very chancy thing at best, it is usually based on little solid evidence, or in other words there is no proof positive. If he is actually guilty of this offense, then he violated that trust and, hopefully he will be locked away forever or at least for many years to come.
Best regards,
Glenn B
 
He may well be the reason that the teacher got locked up. He may have been locked up for something, then when the guns were found, he may have sung like a canary.
 
"Gee Mr. DA if you drop that whole assassination plot thing and drop it to jay walking I'll tell you who my arms supplier is"

There is no honor among thieves in the real world
 
Lets not jump to conclusions just yet. I didn't see any proof that the teacher knew the guy was a felon or knew that they would be used in a crime. Could be a perfectly honest private sale, annd the local DA is trying to make some headlines.

Really how many felons do you know from your area that the police probably consider "known felons". I can't name a single one, and I'm sure they are out there.
 
Could be a perfectly honest private sale, annd the local DA is trying to make some headlines.
Click to expand...
Yeah that's true by the looks of what he sold the DA could/would conclude that he had to know that the buyer was up to no good because no honest citizen would need that much fire power
7.62 mm assault rifle
Click to expand...
I'll bet this one was a Yugo, simply because they don't name it.
Really how many felons do you know from your area that the police probably consider "known felons". I can't name a single one, and I'm sure they are out there.
Click to expand...
Actually my new neighbor. Hell of a nice guy, helped me out alot during the hurricanes.
Used to have an automobile delivery service. He'd take a rental car to a warehouse in Miami, pick up another rental car and drop it off at a gas station in Orlando. For some reason that's illegal ;)

He's one of those canaries we were talking about. After he got done singing he ended up with 15 months probation and drug classes, faile them twice and ended up being asked to serve the remainder of his time. He complied about a year later after they came to his house and issued a personal invite. Now he's got that time tacked onto his original.

Not that any of this has anything to do with the thread but it is kinda funny, in a dumbass kinda way
 
Be on the lookout for this gun-runner, a teacher named Mr. Garrison:

sp407_garrison.jpg
 
> a .308 caliber assault rifle and a 7.62 mm assault rifle

Which was which?


> Agents said he knew the weapons would be used in violent crimes.

I wonder if he can do horseraces and lotto tickets as well. With that kind of skill, he'd be rich in no time.
 
fly 3230s wrote:

Regardless of what federal law says, I would have no moral problem selling a gun to a known felon.
Click to expand...

that's nice, but then, if you got convicted, then you'd be a felon, and then you couldn't legally possess firearms for the rest of your life. that's quite a hefty price to pay.

of course you could continue to violate federal law and be an ex-felon in possession of a firearm and do even more time in the future.

of course, if a felon used a gun you sold him to commit a felony against perhaps a family member of yours, would you be okay with it?

felons already screwed up and demonstrated they don't need a firearm already. these are not people who were arrested and not convicted, but persons who were convicted by a jury and did time in a correctional institution.

sorry, i strongly disagree with that post. felons don't need guns. period.
 
Mr. Spreadfire, being a Texas resident, FFL, and CHL instructor, I would assume you are familiar with the law. See:
http://www.capitol.state.tx.us/statutes/docs/PE/content/htm/pe.010.00.000046.00.htm#46.04.00

which says:
§ 46.04. UNLAWFUL POSSESSION OF FIREARM. (a) A person
who has been convicted of a felony commits an offense if he
possesses a firearm:
(1) after conviction and before the fifth anniversary
of the person's release from confinement following conviction of
the felony or the person's release from supervision under community
supervision, parole, or mandatory supervision, whichever date is
later; or
(2) after the period described by Subdivision (1), at
any location other than the premises at which the person lives.
Click to expand...

Now, it seems to me that a felon who has done his time can possess a firearm at home. Presumably to defend himself. Makes sense to me.

Question: As a non-FFL private citizen, if I sell a gun to another private party, am I responsible for ensuring that he meets the same criteria as a 4473 sale? What are my requirements, under the law, when selling a gun?
 
rhubarb,

he can be prosecuted federally for being a felon in possession of a firearm. he can't even have a firearm even to protect himself according to the law.

according to Texas law as a private citizen you have to ensure the person is:

1. a Texas resident,
2. of legal age to own/possess the firearm, and
3. not a convicted felon.

if you want a good guide on what NOT to do read this article:
http://www.statesman.com/search/con...aturday/metro_state_243b7c1f37e0718c002f.html

the text is printed below:

Cedar Park man arrested on firearms charges

Feds say he bought and resold to felons, people who otherwise couldn't obtain a gun legally

By Steven Kreytak

AMERICAN-STATESMAN STAFF

Saturday, June 18, 2005

HK94 clone, $999. Dp51 compact, $350. Norinco 9 mm, $200.

The Austin American-Statesman classified ad, one of about 20 placed by Hen-Jen "Andrew" Wu of Cedar Park in the past 16 months, listed assault rifles and pistols for sale, according to federal court documents.

Wu often met potential buyers in the Pier 1 store parking lot near Lakeline Mall. He sold at least 67 guns since February 2004, a federal agent testified Friday.

It was illegal, authorities say. Wu wasn't a licensed dealer, he sold to convicted felons, and under his work visa, the Taiwanese citizen wasn't allowed to legally have guns, according to a federal criminal complaint.

Wu, who was arrested Tuesday, on Friday was ordered detained without bail pending trial.

He faces up to 10 years in prison on the three most serious charges against him and up to five years on two others.

Wu's lawyer, Bennie Ray, said the civil engineer was just trying to earn some extra money and did not understand the severity of the federal firearms laws. Wu, who lives with his wife and two children on Rosie Lane, is in the country on a nonimmigrant visa sponsored by his employer.

Since February 2004, Wu arranged to have 107 guns shipped to the Cost Plus 10 Gun Shop on Burnet Lane, where he filled out federal firearms transaction forms when purchasing the guns, according to an affidavit.

In January, federal firearms agents noticed how many guns Wu had been buying and opened an investigation. Later, they learned that three of the guns he bought were used illegally, two in Austin and one in Dallas, the affidavit stated.

In January, a 28-year-old man was arrested in Austin for unlawfully carrying a concealed weapon after he accidentally shot himself using a Glock pistol Wu had purchased previously, the affidavit stated.

In March, a 23-year-old man was arrested in Dallas for unlawfully carrying a concealed weapon. His gun, a Glock, had been purchased by Wu the previous October, according to the affidavit.

That same month in Austin, police arrested a man for unlawfully carrying a concealed weapon and possession of drug paraphernalia while in possession of a firearm. The man said he bought the gun from "an Asian guy in the parking lot" near Lakeline Mall, the affidavit stated.

In May, an undercover agent with the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives called the cell phone number listed in the classified ads, arranged a meeting at the Pier 1 parking lot and bought a 9 mm pistol for $350, the affidavit says.

The agent told Wu that he had a friend who couldn't pass a background check who needed a gun; Wu said he'd sell the friend a gun, according to the affidavit.

In June, an ATF informant who once was convicted of robbery told Wu about his criminal history before buying a Tec-9 pistol for $600, the affidavit stated.

"Wu was told on no less than four occasions that the (informant) could not pass a background check," the affidavit stated. A week later, Wu sold another gun to the informant, according to the affidavit.

Daniel Jones, an ATF special agent who led the investigation, testified Friday that Wu usually ended his ads with the words "And More."

When authorities searched Wu's house after his arrest, they found 54 firearms. About half were "AK-47 types . . . similar to what is used by the military," Jones said.
 
where he filled out federal firearms transaction forms when purchasing the guns, according to an affidavit.
Click to expand...
Would this be that yellow paper that magically eliminates illegal purchases
About half were "AK-47 types . . . similar to what is used by the military," Jones said.
Click to expand...
:rolleyes:
 
Status
Not open for further replies.

Similar threads

D
  • Locked
Florida third grade teacher pleads guilty to firearms charges
Replies
6
Views
537
femoralis
F
X
  • Locked
Doctors Say Nearly A Dozen Injured In Paintball Attacks
2
Replies
25
Views
1K
Bob F.
B
W
  • Locked
School Principal Accused Of Pulling Gun On Teacher
Replies
12
Views
970
TarpleyG
T
T
  • Locked
Assault Weapon(?) attack on Monday...
Replies
8
Views
883
TarpleyG
T
S
  • Locked
Miami to give officers assault weapons
2 3
Replies
70
Views
3K
RustyShackelford
R
Back
Top