registration in PA???

[Caeser2001]

unregistered firearms, heat sensing (thermal scope?), various materials
wtf?
over...

does anybody have any clue what this man was really convicted of?


on a side note: does anybody else notice that most news stories are now about unregistered firearms and unregsitered ammo in the news lately? in states where registration is not required? are there any states where registration is required?



http://www.post-gazette.com/pg/09008/940329-455.stm

Clarion County man guilty of federal weapons charges
Thursday, January 08, 2009
By Paula Reed Ward, Pittsburgh Post-Gazette
A jury yesterday took only an hour to convict a Clarion County man on three federal weapons charges.

Dana Darryl McCall, 59, of Ashland Township, was found guilty of three counts of possessing unregistered firearms, including a machine gun with a heat-sensing device on it, a "street sweeper" shotgun and the various materials necessary to make pipe bombs.

Chief U.S. District Judge Donetta W. Ambrose scheduled sentencing for April 9.

In closing arguments, the prosecutor tried to prove a required element of the crime -- that Mr. McCall intended to make pipe bombs out of the pipe, fuse, black powder and end caps police found during a Feb. 20, 2008, raid of his property.

"What do you need to cap both ends of a pipe for?" asked Assistant U.S. Attorney Ross Lenhardt during his closing argument. "Does he intend for these components to be a weapon?"

The government told the jury that Mr. McCall was targeting a state trooper named James Weaver from the Clarion barracks because the man had cited him for a summary violation for which the defendant had to pay a $100 fine.

He accused Mr. McCall of being a collector of perceived wrongs.

"The defendant couldn't shake it. He couldn't let go," Mr. Lenhardt continued. "He was obsessed."

Mr. McCall, who faces additional charges in Clarion County including for risking a catastrophe, is accused of calling Trooper Weaver's home and playing recorded, threatening messages. The government also contends that he left boards with nails through them in the driveway of the state police barracks, which caused Trooper Weaver to get a flat tire on his personal vehicle.

Defense attorney Charles J. Porter Jr. told the jury the government's entire case was based on paranoia.

"Have you seen any cyanide? Have you seen any ammonium nitrate? Any poison?" Mr. Porter began. "Why are they telling you all these things? Because they want to put the fear of God in you. They want you to be afraid of that man."

Mr. Porter tried to argue that just because Mr. McCall had all the makings for pipe bombs does not mean he intended to build any.

"The fact that he's got the ingredients, that he's got the recipe -- that's not an apple pie, ladies and gentlemen."

Paula Reed Ward can be reached at pward@post-gazette.com or 412-263-2620.
First published on January 8, 2009 at 12:00 am

[imperialism2024]

Things like machineguns, silencers, and short-barreled rifles and shotguns need to be registered with the BATFE.

[Caeser2001]

Things like machineguns, silencers, and short-barreled rifles and shotguns need to be registered with the BATFE.

Not a Pennsylvania law.

I understand that.

so essentially he had an unregistered machinegun, short barreled shotgun and some type of explosives?

[liberty556]

Things like machineguns, silencers, and short-barreled rifles and shotguns need to be registered with the BATFE.

Not a Pennsylvania law.

Actually, those items are considered "prohibited offense weapons" by PA law Sect 908. There is an exception clause that allows ownership in PA so long as the weapons are registered with NFA.

[imperialism2024]

Actually, those items are considered "prohibited offense weapons" by PA law Sect 908. There is an exception clause that allows ownership in PA so long as the weapons are registered with NFA.

Whoops

Anyhow, I can see the OP'S point about how news stories do frequently mention "registration" when there is no such thing. Just not in this one

[JayBell]

also, as a note..."explosive destructive devices" (which a pipe bomb is considered) are the ONLY NFA devices that are not able to be possessed in PA...registered or not.

the thermal weapon sight is 100% legal they just threw that in there.

[ThunderingWind]

So, based on the guilt verdict and the language quoted by the Prosecutor,

ALL OF US that have black powder for our legally owned muzzle loading firearms....small sections of pipe..... and end caps to make temporary repairs to our home plumbing systems.....

Are we all bomb makers by this new language?

[liberty556]

So, based on the guilt verdict and the language quoted by the Prosecutor,

ALL OF US that have black powder for our legally owned muzzle loading firearms....small sections of pipe..... and end caps to make temporary repairs to our home plumbing systems.....

Are we all bomb makers by this new language?

According to the anti gun crowd, yes we are. We just haven't been caught yet!

[Bmarshall91]

and end caps to make temporary repairs to our home plumbing systems.....

Are we all bomb makers by this new language?

dude, that's what i was going to say! so what if he has MORE THAN ONE end cap to pieces of pipe... who's to say he's going to cap BOTH ends of ONE pipe... why couldn't he use more than one end cap on MORE THAN ONE pipe! that whole argument was absurd... but that attorney won. He was able to scare the hell out of the jury enough to make them think the defendant was a criminal.
i do agree with the defendants attorney though, just because he has the recipe for the stuff doesn't mean he ACTUALLY has made it! how sad our fellow peers have become to be frightened of someone who has done nothing illegal. (taking the sawed off shotguns, or machine guns er whatever out of the picture for a minute.)

[D-FENS]

Sentenced to 5 years.

I am concerned that he was charged with having the parts necessary to build explosive devices but it does not appear that he had any built. Who doesn't have a bunch of crap laying around that *could* be fashioned into some sort of device?