We’re the Government, We’re Here To Help You – IOTW Report

We’re the Government, We’re Here To Help You

A Vietnam vet, Wayne Wright, who had a legal firearms collection worth over $700,000, was nabbed in an illegal sting operation by the LAPD.

Posing as a prospective buyer, an undercover cop kept cajoling Wright into allowing him to hold a firearm he wanted to purchase as they made their way to the Federal Firearms Licensee office to transfer ownership. Wright knew that this wasn’t protocol. But the officer kept insisting, saying he wouldn’t buy it otherwise, and kept up his whining until Wright agreed.

Officers swooped in and arrested him. It was deemed a bad sting. But that didn’t prevent them from getting a warrant and cleaning his entire house out of everything firearm related.

The government actually agreed that the seizure was unwarranted, but they still never gave back his guns. In fact, they’ve destroyed them.

Read the rest HERE

HT/ TSUNAMI

12 Comments on We’re the Government, We’re Here To Help You

  1. That sounds like CalDoj not local cops. I know we get them in here and we don’t sell to the public that much. My favorite was some goof ball that walked in off the street begging us to finish his 80% lower. It wasn’t t hard to see the outline of his pistol under neath his shirt with the “FBI CANT”. So casually I asked the guy if he had his ccw. He tells me no. So I thru him out. They are very persistent in trying to get you to do something illegal. They don’t give up.

    Since when is holding a gun illegal. I hope this guy sues the shit out of what ever agency it is.

  2. Ha, I have another good one for you. About two years ago a gun store I sell to was have a sale on Benelli Tactical shotguns. Well some guy picks his up after the ten day wait and on the drive home get pulled over by the CHP. Cop sees the shotgun still in the box laying on the back seat and demands to see it. So he takes a look and decides that barrel just looks way to damn short. So he pulls out his Dick Tracey measuring tape and sure enough it only measures 14.5 inches. Gotta be 16 to be legal in Cali. So he calls in the cavalry and they set up a sting operation and bust a bunch of people, charging them with felonies. Eventually raided the store. Problem is he was measuring from the end of the frame. Barrel length is measure from the chamber which the owner quickly pointed out with very colorful language. Oops. There were a couple law suits over that too. Never did hear how it turned out.

  3. I assume holding the gun was the moment it became a “transfer”.

    The way the story reads to me, the cop talked him into letting him drive it to the FFl on his own to do the transfer – of a gun already transferred to his possession.

    No FFL would let you have possession before the background check, so there’s the supposed crime – albeit through entrapment.

    So, are private sales required to have background checks in CA?

    If so, that is a bad bad thing. Making criminals out of thin air.

  4. All seriousness aside.

    Has ANYBODY ever received a letter or communication from ANY alphabet agency of the FedGov and felt all warm and fuzzy?

    “Hey Honey, look! The FedGov is interested in us! Damn, break out that $100 bottle of Champagne! Their coming with their SWAT team, whatever that is, so maybe we’ll all get to play ball or something?”

  5. This reminds me of all the NBC-Chris Hanson pedophile stings.
    I am not defending those sick bastards but I totally disagree at how they are baited and caught.
    Use legitimate law enforcement and nail people for legitimate crimes.

    I was happy to see Chris get caught cheating on his wife.

  6. The reason why the LAPD illegally destroyed the guns was if they returned them, it would be obvious that the collection got picked clean by some of the cops involved. Some of those firearms would be too sweet to pass up. If they’re willing to pull a cheesy scam like that to confiscate these guns, I’d wager they took some for themselves or sold some to some bad elements.

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