BATFE official’s gun at death of Mexican beauty queen
Fox News reports that a handgun purchased by George Gillett, the former No. 2 in the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives office in Phoenix was found at the scene of the murdered Mexican beauty queen, Maria Susana Gamez, last week. A semi-automatic rifle from the thousands which were funneled to Mexican cartels under the gaze of BATFE agents in the operation known as “Fast & Furious” was also found at the scene.
Gillett purchased the weapon at Legendary Arms, a Phoenix gun store. On the federal form 4473 used to buy the gun, Gillett used the ATF office address, 201 East Washington, and said “Apt 940.” On subsequent purchase, Gillett used a commercial address, that of a strip mall.
Both actions are illegal, since ATF regulations require buyers use their residential address.
Gillett didn’t respond to a request to comment for this story, though he has confirmed in other news interviews that he bought the gun, saying he later sold it on the Internet.
Yeah, but my guns, which haven’t killed anyone, are the problem.
Category: Barack Obama/Joe Biden, Guns
saying he later sold it on the Internet
Uh-huh. With all due respect, given the ATF’s recent record, I’d like to see the bill of sale and any other paper trail involved. These guys seem to have a habit of losing their weapons.
WTF… above the law he was sworn to uphold. This is what pisses me off about the laws we have on the books, those who can just ignore them and do whatever the hell they want.
Fast and Furious should have ended with a lot of heads on the floor from DoJ.
meantime I want to legally own a gun in the PRM (peoples republic of mass…) I have to just about give up my first born to get a license now and God help us now with the insanity that happened in Connecticut.
@2
Sure. He’s just taking his cues from the Administration. I’m sure he’ll say it was “careless”, “avoidable” and “unintentional”. Exactly the same sort of thing Geitner said during his confirmation when confronted with the fact he done a very good job paying his taxes…and then got put in charge of the Treasury.
In view of their chronic incompetence with weapons, I think the ATF people should be issued water pistols at the beginning of —
Naw, on second thought, fire the clown. Why should he get anyone’s tax dollars in his paycheck any more?
This just proves more and more that the BATFE shouldn’t be anything more than a store than a government ran department of fools.
The new approach to dealing with pressures to resign from gov’t leadership positions is to announce that you either will or might be leaving office at a future date. Clinton is leaving and Holder said last month that he is considering leaving.
I’m guessing that the ONLY concern anyone in the administration has with the beauty queen’s murder and the presence of Fast and Furious weapons at the scene is that this may affect the mid-term Hispanic vote. Hey, it’s one thing when a white male American agent is killed by a Fast and Furious weapon but, dammit, we can’t have a beautiful Mexican woman as a victim!
If you or I had done that – bought two weapons using false addresses and sold at least one of them “on the Internet” thereafter – we’d be getting a visit from Federal LE agents asking rather pointed questions ASAP. I wonder if Gillett can expect the same?
Hondo–doubt it. After all, there’s an agenda to push, ethics and legality be damned.
Hondo,
Politicians, and Dems in particular have a different view of taking responsibility than the rest of us. You or I would be looking at fines/jail for this activity. But when the president appoints a man to watch over treasury who doesn’t pay taxes, and when he himself claims to attend a church for 20 years without ever listening to the sermons it should come as no surprise that the BATF area of responsibility will include assistant directors breaking gun laws…the level of incompetence/outright corruption by the underlings of this administration is only surpassed by my home state where several successive speakers of the house have been indicted/convicted for the crimes they committed in office….Dems never mind corruption among their party mates, as long as they hold power they are quite willing to overlook the illegal activity of their members while screaming like banshees over the alleged illegalities of the Republicans.
@9
That’s the truth. Their idea of taking responsibility is barely more than acknowledging that something happened.
Gentlemen, the question was rhetorical. If Gillett receives a visit at all, it will be pro forma. In that case the agents involved will treat him with deference; they’ll take his word at face value when he tells them he was doing it “as part of an operation” and “must have lost the bill of sale” for the weapon he sold.
You or I would be treated very differently.
I know abit about this issue.
He IS in trouble … already!
No offense, MCPO – but based on what I’ve seen out of DoJ, I’ll believe he’s really in trouble when he’s charged, not before. They seem to have a way of making legal issues “go away” when they want to. See the NBPP case.
If he sold on the internet then all he need do is provide the name of the ATF Licensed dealer he sent the weapon to so that the transfer could be completed.
The gun trace wouldn’t have ended with him unless he was the last lawful transferee on a 4473.
He also being an ATF Agent has a problem with the 4473’s he did fill out, 5 years and $250K per offense.
Stu: Not necessarily. I’ve seen enough sloppy reporting to be a bit suspicious. The Fox article indicates Gillett sold his weapon “on the Internet”. I wouldn’t take that as Gospel.
I don’t believe a 4473 is required for private sales. I’d guess Gillett will say he was misquoted and actually arranged the sale using the Internet but that the transaction actually occurred privately and in person.
Hell, that might even be the truth.
Doesn’t explain the false addresses, though. But I’m guessing he’ll claim that was due to F&F.
I hope I’m wrong, but I’m betting this gets swept under the rug like everything else associated with F&F has to date.
Hondo, agreed, he could have used a gun forum or Armslist, but that begs the question as to why would an ATF Official do a private transaction and not know with whom he was doing business?
Guns are his business so he should make sure everything is above reproach if not for the simple idea of career insurance. Guess he got that ATF mentality, Me boss, you peon.
He more than anyone knows the blowback if he tranfered to an improper person. And your correc 4473 not need for private sales.
Still the issues of the addresses on the 4473s.
You bet the fat lady ain’t signing today, she sweeping.
Hondo … no offense taken. This issue IS NOT done. Agency actions are, as noted here, sometimes ignored and/or protected. However, personal actions can not be. Certainly more to come and it will be interesting to see what really happens!
Fellas, fellas, fellas…what’s with the uproar?? Comrade omammy will take care of the asshats and libtards in the traveling circus that’s his regime whole sicking them on us trying to take OUR weapons. Isn’t that business as usual? Our dear leader has the situation well in hand, don’t worry!