Man gets 10-year sentence for trading guns (bought from "law abiding" dealers) for drugs

[jpak]

http://www.pressherald.com/news/Man-gets-10-year-sentence-for-trading-guns-for-drugs_10-15-11.html

A 28-year-old Norridgewock man was sentenced to 10 years in prison for buying 15 guns to trade for drugs when, as a convicted felon, he was prohibited from owning a single firearm.

<snip>

During the traffic stop, police found a backpack behind the vehicle’s rear seat. Inside were a Walther .22-caliber pistol and a Smith & Wesson .40-caliber pistol, according to court records.

When police traced the guns, they discovered they had been bought by William C. Wheeler II, 30, of Skowhegan, from a federally licensed gun shop in Solon called Bait, Bolts & Bullets.

Investigators learned that Stebbins gave Wheeler cash to buy the guns for him, so he could then trade the weapons for drugs in Massachusetts, according to court documents.

<more>

:thumbsdown:

[ileus]

1. more guns victimized by scumbag criminals....

2 years for 9 or 15 straw purchases? should have been 50

10 years for felon druggie boy? should have been 50



People who don't respect the freedom of the second amendment should be grilled....people like this are always giving good guns bad names.


Someone needs to invent a killing device that criminals would prefer over the firearms.

[jmg257]

2. Good news. Criminal straw purchaser charged and convicted

for false statements.

Criminal felon charged and convicted for illegal gun possession.

Holding criminals responsible for their illegal actions - love it!

:thumbsup:

[gravity556]

3. Obviously he would have stopped if there had been one more law...

Because it's not like it's already illegal to be a felon in possession of a firearm, illegal to make straw purchases (as either the straw buyer or the final purchaser) and I'm pretty sure it's fooking already illegal to trade firearms for dope.

The gun shop followed the law, the criminals ignored it. Again, I ask, what law would have suddenly stopped this pair of felons in their tracks?

[rl6214]

4. WOW, imagine that, a criminal doing criminal things

[SteveM]

5. Uh, they were caught, convicted, sentenced. Your point? nt

[SteveM]

6. Usual mis-leading title: "law abiding" dealer should be: Law-abiding dealer.

Since the dealer followed the law, no charges were brought on the dealer, there was no trial, there was no sentence.

I'm glad I had the opportunity to clean up this posting.

[Kennah]

7. So are you implying the dealer is at fault for selling to someone with no criminal background?

If the required paperwork was completed, and the required NCIS check was made, what is the dealer's crime? Lack of clairvoyance?