CA LEO indicted for illegal gun sales

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sodbuster95
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CA LEO indicted for illegal gun sales

Post by sodbuster95 »

San Diego sheriff’s captain, four others indicted in connection with illegal gun sales

There are a number of nits to pick in this situation. Some highlights...
SAN DIEGO — Former San Diego County Sheriff’s Capt. Marco Garmo and four other men were indicted Friday by the U.S. attorney’s office in an illegal-gun-sales case that involved more than 140 transactions over six years, including for two years after the career lawman was warned about his practices.

...

Federal prosecutors said the former sheriff’s captain illegally bought and sold about 146 guns from March 2013 to last February, regularly certifying that he was the “actual transferee/buyer” on state-mandated disclosures.

But over the same period, Garmo transferred approximately 93 of those firearms to third parties through federal firearms licenses and transferred even more weapons without going through the federal licensing process, the indictment states.

...

In 2017, Sheriff Bill Gore issued a formal reprimand to Garmo after an investigation found that he had bought and sold dozens of guns without securing a federal firearms license, the San Diego Union-Tribune reported last year.

...

Gore said the agency’s punishment fit the misconduct because Garmo did not appear to be selling the guns for profit and apparently had overlooked the law that requires people who buy or sell more than five guns a year to have a federal license.

“He played by all the rules, but he did too many” transactions, Gore said. “They were all registered by the Department of Justice; that’s how we found out about them. We don’t let other people say ignorance of the law is an excuse, and that’s why we disciplined him.”
I assume this reference to the law requiring an FFL to buy or sell more than 5 firearms is a state law. That, or the Sheriff being quoted is just making things up. Or, I've utterly missed a major change in the FFL requirements. :shock:
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Re: CA LEO indicted for illegal gun sales

Post by Bruenor »

Wasn't reselling them for profit.. I call bullpucky on that statement. the whole reason there is a LEO resale market in CA is they can buy the guns people want but can't get otherwise in California, thanks to the exclusion in the law that allows LEOS to buy off roster firearms. they can then resell those on the open market at a HUGE markup. I heard of one sale where we would pay around $500.00 new at the FFL for a particular handgun, a California LEO resale price on that gun was over $1000.00

They certainly weren't reselling them for a loss.

Here's the CA LEO exemptions in their firearms laws
https://oag.ca.gov/firearms/exemptpo" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;

California law that lets cops buy ‘off-roster’ guns expanded to include more in law enforcement
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Re: CA LEO indicted for illegal gun sales

Post by Brian D. »

You're likely 100% right Bru. Can I call you Bru after all these years? :mrgreen: Did nobody in Cali see this possibility before authorizing such a broad LE exemption? The state and federal tax folks not thrilled by this either, I bet.

I know a rich guy around here, let's call him "Joe" who wanted a Glock model 25 very badly. Trouble is, it's in .380 and only importable to Mil/L.E. "Joe" convinced* his local police chief pal to authorize those for off duty carry for his department, then order an extra one. Joe says he paid the LE price, which excludes fed excise tax of course.

*Pretty sure Joe threw some $$$ at the chief for the favor.
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Re: CA LEO indicted for illegal gun sales

Post by Sevens »

I find Joe’s purchase to be an interesting one.... if I recall, the early .380-chambered Glock was only so chambered for destinations that prohibited citizens owning military calibers (so 9mm was verboten) and thus the first .380-chambered Glocks weren’t reduced dimensionally, they were basically a Glock 19 but with a barrel/chamber in .380?

Seems like a chump prize for such tomfoolery, such a small gain.
I like to swap brass... and I'm looking for .32 H&R Mag, .327 Fed Mag, .380 Auto and 10mm. If you have some and would like to swap for something else, send me a note!
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Re: CA LEO indicted for illegal gun sales

Post by Brian D. »

Well, it's the only Glock model 25 I've ever seen in person. Yep, a G-19 lookalike in .380. "Joe" liked having guns nobody else owned.
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Re: CA LEO indicted for illegal gun sales

Post by sodbuster95 »

Bruenor wrote:Wasn't reselling them for profit.. I call bullpucky on that statement.
I have no doubt that's exactly what was happening.
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