Drizzt
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Milwaukee Journal Sentinel
March 7, 2003 Friday FINAL EDITION
SECTION: NEWS; Pg. 02B
LENGTH: 341 words
HEADLINE: Making ;
Making, selling machine guns leads to 5-year sentence
BYLINE: GINA BARTON [email protected]
BODY:
A Town of Merton man who manufactured machine guns and sold them to an undercover agent from the federal Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco and Firearms will serve more than five years in prison.
Douglas Bartelt, 28, pleaded guilty to four federal felonies: three counts of transferring an unregistered firearm and one count of transferring a machine gun without a serial number. Bartelt, who operated his own automotive and metalworking business, had contracts to manufacture some gun parts legitimately for firearms companies, according to federal prosecutors. However, he was not authorized to put together entire guns.
At a sentencing hearing Thursday in federal court in Milwaukee, Bartelt explained his actions to U.S. District Judge J.P. Stadtmueller.
"When I first put the gun together, it was a hobby to satisfy my curiosity. I never planned to sell it," he said. "Eventually, I let my judgment slip away and I sold it. . . . I kind of threw it all away with a stupid move."
Bartelt and his associates sold at least 10 machine guns to an undercover agent for $600 to $1,000 each, according to a criminal complaint.
The agent told Bartelt he was selling the weapons in Chicago, said Assistant U.S. Attorney Erica O'Neil.
In addition to ordering Bartelt to spend 62 months in prison, Stadtmueller fined him $1,000 and placed him on supervised release for three years after he completes the prison term. Bartelt also must pay $6,150 to the ATF to reimburse them for the weapons purchases.
Four others have pleaded guilty to federal firearms charges in the case and will be sentenced in April. They are: twin brother Joseph Bartelt, 28, of the Town of Merton; Andrew Pope, 26, of Greenfield; Jesse Walk, 20, of Milwaukee; and Timothy Buda, 36, formerly of Milwaukee.
Pope was charged in Washington County Circuit Court on Monday with sale of a controlled substance -- nearly 2 pounds of marijuana and an ounce of cocaine to an undercover officer.
If convicted, he could be sent to prison for up to 30 years.
March 7, 2003 Friday FINAL EDITION
SECTION: NEWS; Pg. 02B
LENGTH: 341 words
HEADLINE: Making ;
Making, selling machine guns leads to 5-year sentence
BYLINE: GINA BARTON [email protected]
BODY:
A Town of Merton man who manufactured machine guns and sold them to an undercover agent from the federal Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco and Firearms will serve more than five years in prison.
Douglas Bartelt, 28, pleaded guilty to four federal felonies: three counts of transferring an unregistered firearm and one count of transferring a machine gun without a serial number. Bartelt, who operated his own automotive and metalworking business, had contracts to manufacture some gun parts legitimately for firearms companies, according to federal prosecutors. However, he was not authorized to put together entire guns.
At a sentencing hearing Thursday in federal court in Milwaukee, Bartelt explained his actions to U.S. District Judge J.P. Stadtmueller.
"When I first put the gun together, it was a hobby to satisfy my curiosity. I never planned to sell it," he said. "Eventually, I let my judgment slip away and I sold it. . . . I kind of threw it all away with a stupid move."
Bartelt and his associates sold at least 10 machine guns to an undercover agent for $600 to $1,000 each, according to a criminal complaint.
The agent told Bartelt he was selling the weapons in Chicago, said Assistant U.S. Attorney Erica O'Neil.
In addition to ordering Bartelt to spend 62 months in prison, Stadtmueller fined him $1,000 and placed him on supervised release for three years after he completes the prison term. Bartelt also must pay $6,150 to the ATF to reimburse them for the weapons purchases.
Four others have pleaded guilty to federal firearms charges in the case and will be sentenced in April. They are: twin brother Joseph Bartelt, 28, of the Town of Merton; Andrew Pope, 26, of Greenfield; Jesse Walk, 20, of Milwaukee; and Timothy Buda, 36, formerly of Milwaukee.
Pope was charged in Washington County Circuit Court on Monday with sale of a controlled substance -- nearly 2 pounds of marijuana and an ounce of cocaine to an undercover officer.
If convicted, he could be sent to prison for up to 30 years.
