Joe Reese committed one of the biggest cardinal sins a merchant can make. He moved in on the .gov’s business. The ATF and FBI already had a thriving gun-running operation and Reese, through his New Deal Shooting Sports store outside Las Cruces, New Mexico, was cutting in on their franchise…
Joe, along with his wife Terri and sons Ryin and…wait for it…Remington, were arrested a few months ago. Now the ATF is seeking forfeiture of their inventory and business. The feds apparently think it will make their operation run more smoothly if they have their own storefront to work from.
According to lcsun.com, the four were charged with:
…selling 34 weapons and thousands of dollars of ammunition to undercover agents and a Mexican cartel member turned government informant between 2010 and this July, lying on firearms purchasing forms during the transactions – many captured on hidden audio and video feeds – and laundering the proceeds.
All remain in federal custody awaiting trial.
The seized property – four vehicles, 1,428 firearms, 1,975,262 rounds of assorted ammunition, 535 canisters of smokeless powder, 4,757 ammunition magazines, $117,823 in gold and silver coins, assorted body armor, an ammunition reloading bench, 17 gun safes, about $11,019 from New Deal bank accounts and about $106,449 in cash – remains in the custody of Homeland Security officials.
Irony doesn’t seem to be standard issue equipment for ATF agents.
That is such utter crap. That can’t fly. 34 guns? Can they not count?
A WTF from that story:
“Trial has not yet been scheduled in the case, which most recently had been focused on whether the family could hire high-profile Albuquerque attorney Sam Bregman to represent all four family members. U.S. District Court Judge Robert C. Brack denied that motion in November.”
How exactly does a judge prevent you from hiring the lawyer you want? Were they trying to pay him with sized funds?
This is also a lesson as to why you should bury your gold and silver.
Judges are reluctant but nevertheless required to intervene when they perceive that a chosen attorney would have a conflict of interest. Representing co-defendants is often a situation riddled with conflicts and is highly disfavored.
For example, assume that two brothers are tried for committing the same crime and hire the same lawyer. Let’s also assume that Brother #1 committed the crime and that Brother #2 is totally innocent. The lawyer for the pair would be barred from claiming that it was all the fault of Brother #1 and not Brother#2, since a lawyer cannot turn against his own client. Let’s also assume that Brother #2 wants to testify against Brother #1. Oops, the attorney cannot put Bro #2 on the stand to implicate Bro #1 since he represents both. You see how this works? So, Brother #2, a truly innocent party, would be denied an effective defense and would be convicted of a crime committed by Brother #1 just because of his lawyer’s conflict.
Also, you’ll remember that John Gotti was not allowed to hire Bruce Cutler for Gotti’s last trial, because Cutler, as the so-called “house counsel” of the mob family, was presumed to be part of the actus reas.
There are many reasons why a defendant can properly, legally and logically be denied his choice of a particular lawyer.
thanks for the explanation ralph
Well, lets assume for a moment that these folks were doing what the Govmnt alleges (Making illegal sales, laundering money etc). If that is true, then it would seem that the B.A.T.F.E. (all my favorite products, in one agency…) might have gotten it right (for once).
It seems to be a stretch (certainly with the little info available) to go labeling this as a Gov’t agency busting folks for gun running in order to facilitate Gov’t gun running. All of the foks at ATF can’t be rotten…(right? I hope.)
If they really did the crime, they should do the time. I am not really thrilled about guns winding up in the wrong hands. If I was really a Mexican drug dealer, I just think I would go down to the local Federales Armory and bribe the Commandante and get some of the really good stuff.
This is bad stuff if it’s true, and heartbreak from my college town. It’s hard to describe in words what is happening in Mexico with the drug wars. Sunday in Juarez, they handcuffed a Mexican cop, doused him with gas, and lit him on fire in the middle of the street. That makes somewhere around 60 the number of cops murdered in Juarez since the current mayor took office last year
It’s hard to find sympathy for anyone supplying the cartels with guns, whether they’re gun dealers or the DOJ.
I’m not agreeing with the confiscation of not just their guns but everything they seem to have of value. If this is the standard penalty then Holder’s house and cars should be on the dock.
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