He sold illegal AR-15s. Feds agreed to let him go

[GOYABEAN]

assuming the news sources take it with a grain of salt

For more than a year, Joseph Roh illegally manufactured AR-15-style rifles in a warehouse south of Los Angeles.

His customers, more than two dozen of whom were legally prohibited from possessing a firearm, could push a button, pull a lever, and walk away a short time later with a fully assembled, untraceable semi-automatic weapon for about $1,000, according to court records.
Roh continued his black-market operation despite being warned in person by agents from the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives that he was breaking the law.
But five years after raiding his business and indicting him, federal authorities quietly cut a deal with Roh earlier this year and agreed to drop the charges.
Why?
The judge in the case had issued a tentative order that, in the eyes of prosecutors, threatened to upend the decades-old Gun Control Act and "seriously undermine the ATF's ability to trace and regulate firearms nationwide."

A case once touted by prosecutors as a crackdown on an illicit firearms factory was suddenly seen as having the potential to pave the way to unfettered access to one of the most demonized guns in America.
Federal authorities preferred to let Roh go free rather than have the ruling become final and potentially create case law that could have a crippling effect on the enforcement of gun laws, several sources familiar with the matter told CNN. Each requested anonymity due to the sensitive nature of the case and its possible implications.

Feds to drop weapons charges to protect gun control efforts, sources say - CNN

 

[SomeSoldier]

It's about CONTROL!!!!!!!!!! Always has been.

 

[BDinPutnam]

Ah crap.

I thought the article was about Eric Holder.

 

[Robin]

 

[spat]

assuming the news sources take it with a grain of salt

For more than a year, Joseph Roh illegally manufactured AR-15-style rifles in a warehouse south of Los Angeles.

His customers, more than two dozen of whom were legally prohibited from possessing a firearm, could push a button, pull a lever, and walk away a short time later with a fully assembled, untraceable semi-automatic weapon for about $1,000, according to court records.
Roh continued his black-market operation despite being warned in person by agents from the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives that he was breaking the law.
But five years after raiding his business and indicting him, federal authorities quietly cut a deal with Roh earlier this year and agreed to drop the charges.
Why?
The judge in the case had issued a tentative order that, in the eyes of prosecutors, threatened to upend the decades-old Gun Control Act and "seriously undermine the ATF's ability to trace and regulate firearms nationwide."

A case once touted by prosecutors as a crackdown on an illicit firearms factory was suddenly seen as having the potential to pave the way to unfettered access to one of the most demonized guns in America.
Federal authorities preferred to let Roh go free rather than have the ruling become final and potentially create case law that could have a crippling effect on the enforcement of gun laws, several sources familiar with the matter told CNN. Each requested anonymity due to the sensitive nature of the case and its possible implications.

Feds to drop weapons charges to protect gun control efforts, sources say - CNN

So, this tells me that the ATF knows what they are doing is unconstitutional, that they would lose in court if challenged, but they want to keep on doing it anyway ?


It is certainly unethical for a government official to drop a case they think they will lose to protect a law they plan to keep enforcing. It should be illegal. In fact it is unethical to enforce a law that you even suspect wouldn't survive the court challenge. Let alone trying to game the system to support it.

 

[Acer-m14]

as said in another thread on this ..

who is selling AR lowers engraved " not a firearm " now ..

and i'll add .. no NICS to it .. sounds like a money maker .. snickering ..