CavArms Update
Cavalry Arms Corp. says on its Web site that it has been “engaged in an ongoing dispute” with the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives, or ATF, for two years over “regulatory and compliance mistakes.”
But in federal court last week, owner Shawn Nealon admitted that he and his company illegally sold as many as 40 weapons to an out-of state buyer, and he voluntarily surrendered his federal firearms licenses, meaning Cavalry will no longer be able to import, manufacture or deal in weapons or ammunition.
“This is not some individual setting up a stand at a gun show,” U.S. Attorney Dennis Burke said Friday. “These are the preliminary steps that individuals take to get around federal laws in order to traffic in illegal firearms.”
And:
Vincent said as much as 90 percent of the government’s original case against Cavalry was dismissed, leaving his client pleading guilty to selling to an out-of-state buyer.
February 22nd, 2010 at 12:39 pm
Aaaah, I love the smell of “cooperating witness” in the air.
The prosecutors lay out a memorandum for the target(company, individual, whatever) to sign, wherein the target admits to whatever the government wants the target to admit to. In return, the prosecutors whisper into the judge’s ear that the target is “cooperating voluntarily” with the investigation. Presto! Target subject is allowed to cop to a lesser charge, or the judge gives the target subject a reasonable sentence at a “Club Fed”, minimum security facility.
The DA calls a press conference or puts out a press release, and marks another notch on his belt; the company lives for yet another day; and someone goes to jail under the best circumstances possible. Everybody wins!
Once a federal prosecutor sets his eyes on you, you will either go to jail or you will be driven to penury fighting the feds in court for years. There is no other option: if they don’t get you for the original charge, they’ll get you on the always-flexible charges of “mail fraud”, “wire fraud”, “conspiracy”, “lying to a federal officer”, etc., etc. And they will grind you into the dirt until they get you, until you cry “uncle” and cop a plea, or until you commit suicide.
February 22nd, 2010 at 2:12 pm
How can it be illegal for an FFL to sell a long gun to someone from out-of-state?
Was it because it was done via mail-order?
February 22nd, 2010 at 2:32 pm
No, OldEsterner, it was all just bullshit.
Cavarms had a subcontractor mold receiver halves to them. They welded them together at their licensed plant. They had a letter from the ATF allowing this.
The ATF decided, out of the blue, and in violation of their own letter, that having an out of state plastics manufacturer send them incomplete receiver halves ( to be welded together on site ) constituted having an unlicensed manufacturer make receivers for them and then ship them across state lines to them.
February 22nd, 2010 at 3:00 pm
The power to regulate is the power to destroy. And the ATF is out to destroy the firearm industry in this country.
February 22nd, 2010 at 6:09 pm
ATF’s political masters may be, dubber308, but the agency itself knows what side its bread is buttered on. No industry = no one to control. They want to keep it going so they have jobs. Of course, smacking it around from time to time to show who’s boss is part and parcel of that.
February 22nd, 2010 at 6:40 pm
OldEasterner: It isn’t – but if you look at the details of the list there’s a bunch of handguns.
They’re saying he (wiht his FFL) sold some guns he shouldn’t have, not that CavArms, Inc. made and sold them. (Since as far as I know, CavArms never made any handguns…)
Looks like CavArms can start manufacturing and selling and importing again if they get someone else with an FFL to be The FFL Guy, as I understand it.
Diomed: I don’t think ATF is out to destroy the gun industry either, but remember that not all ATF agents are in the gun side of the agency. Many – probably most, I thnk – are in the Alcohol and Tobacco and Explosives side, going after cigarette smugglers and distillers.
BATFE would survive just fine if no more firearms were ever sold to civilians in the US.
February 22nd, 2010 at 8:01 pm
I wonder if real cops look at the batf point and laugh.
(Real cops being the ones who actually uphold the law instead of making it up as they go along.)
February 22nd, 2010 at 11:57 pm
https://docs.google.com/fileview?id=0B6KRQT10vNOzZWM1N2UzNjgtNWY3YS00NWVhLWJmYmEtNWEyOWI5OThjZjk2&hl=en
Court docs, breaks down the allegations, but not the plea. 3 sides to every story
February 23rd, 2010 at 1:24 am
“And they will grind you into the dirt until they get you, until you cry “uncle” and cop a plea, or until you commit suicide.”-Oscar
Or until you commit justifiable homicide, not murder, for when they earned it, it isn’t murder, just homicide. I really expect we are going to start seeing a whole lot fewer peaceful settlements where they win every time. I fully expect to see them win a few times, but with replacement personnel. People grow weary of fear and eventually surrender it to vengeance.