US Attorney: Scheme brought guns from Whitehall store to NYC

[never_retreat]

US Attorney: Scheme brought guns from Whitehall store to NYC
The Morning Call
Federal officials announced charges today against seven people for their roles in an alleged scheme to funnel guns from the Army and Navy store in Whitehall to New York City.

U.S. Attorney Pat Meehan announced today the filing of a 33-count indictment against the seven, including three Allentown women and a Bethlehem woman. Meehan said they participated in a straw purchasing scheme, where one person fills out the paperwork for the gun but is making the purchase for someone else.
According to the indictment, Javier A. Checo and Reymond Gomez, both from Queens, N.Y., formed a network of people to illegally traffic firearms purchased from the store at 1045 Grape Street in Whitehall. Both men are felons and are unable to and prohibited from buying and possessing guns, Meehan said.

Checo paid Silkya Rivera, 31, of Allentown, to recruit others, including Ana Maria Diaz, 27, of Bethlehem, to purchase guns and Torrie M. Oliver, of Queens, N.Y., recruited his girlfriend, Lucia Helen Rosario, 25, of Robesonia, Berks County to do the same, Meehan said. Heather Brito, 29, of Allentown, was another straw purchaser, he said.

He said the group made 14 attempts to purchase guns from the Army and Navy store between March 2 and Aug. 2 and were successful five times. Following each sale, the guns were given to Checo and Gomez, who took the guns to New York for their own use or for resale to others, Meehan said.

"It's called 'lying and buying' and it's a crime," Meehan said. "Individuals who illegally traffic in firearms, including those who act as straw purchasers, are fueling the gun violence that grips our communities in the Eastern District of Pennsylvania and beyond."

Reporting by Manuel Gamiz Jr., The Morning Call

[ChamberedRound]

Please, Please, PLEASE tell me this had nothing to with Mayor Bloomberg's shenanigans. These seem like genuinely bad people doing wrong, whereas Bloomberg's tactics were borderline entrapment.

[never_retreat]

I heard from a good source last week that they informed the batf themselves. I don't think this has anything to do with Gloomberg.

[CCinPA]

These seem to be the "real" threat and should be dealt with full power of the law.
Bloombergs tactics are nothing but a "feel good look at me in the press I am doing something". He is doing nothing more than using the civil courts to manipulate people into taking a settlement simply because it is cheaper and easier to do( for the defendant) and using trickery to get something that looks like a straw purchase.

[KeithPA]

Well obviously it was the gun store's fault. Duh! I mean they should have known guns are only used to illegally kill people!

Ya it doesn't sound like that has to do anything with Bloombergs shit. I wonder if that was one of the investigations that the ATF said Bloomberg jepordized.

[CCinPA]

Well obviously it was the gun store's fault. Duh! I mean they should have known guns are only used to illegally kill people!

Ya it doesn't sound like that has to do anything with Bloombergs shit. I wonder if that was one of the investigations that the ATF said Bloomberg jepordized.

The article doesn't have great details but it sounds as if the store may not be charged or part of this. It sounds like the store may be the ones who tipped off the BATFE or AG.

[KeithPA]

The article doesn't have great details but it sounds as if the store may not be charged or part of this. It sounds like the store may be the ones who tipped off the BATFE or AG.

Oh, I was being sarcastic.