ATF agent/employee steals guns
https://www.thefirearmblog.com/blog/2019/06/17/atf-agent-steals-firearms/?utm_source=Newsletter&utm_medium=Email&utm_content=2019-06-18&utm_campaign=Weekly+Newsletter
ATF Tasked with Destroying Firearms; Contractor Steals & Sells them for Profit
Posted 23 hours ago in Daily News, News by Adam Scepaniak with 70 Comments
Tags: atf, batfe, Stolen Guns
atf
A news article with a heading that is fit for satire is unfortunately true. The Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives (BATFE or ATF) is often tasked with the destruction of firearms that are no longer serviceable as duty weapons or are obtained through criminal activity and are no longer needed as evidence. In either scenario and potentially others, the ATF will then file a ton of paperwork (because that is the fun government thing to do) stating that ?X? amount of firearms are to be destroyed. Well, that very vague ?X? now has severe importance because the ATF is attempting to track down a significant amount of firearms that were stolen by an ATF agent and sold for a personal profit.
The person identified as duping the ATF is one of their own: Christopher Yates. He was a contract guard employee at the National Firearms and Ammunition Destruction Branch in Martinsburg, West Virginia where over the course of several years he stole and sold thousands of firearms. We reported on this story in March, but now more information keeps coming to light.
Christopher Yates was charged in April and pleaded guilty to the possession of the stolen guns as well as stealing government property. He is not expected to be sentenced until sometime this August, but when he does he could face up to 10 years in prison for each count against him. The likelihood of him receiving and fulfilling the maximum sentence under federal sentencing guidelines is very low.
Christopher Yates admitted to stealing roughly 3,000 Glock slides and while that component is not a ?firearm? (the frame is the official serial-numbered firearm) that is a hefty amount of theft in parts regardless. He also admitted to stealing dozens of other unspecified firearms and at least 4 fully-automatic firearms. At this time, there are no reports indicating that the 4 full-auto firearms have been recovered. At best estimates, there have been 4,000 firearms and miscellaneous parts recovered that Christopher Yates admitted to stealing.
The ATF is being pretty close-lipped about how many firearms were truly stolen considering they have recovered roughly 4,000 already. The sky could be the limit, but hopefully, that is not the case. In the best interest of the public, hopefully, none of these firearms are used in a heinous action and they are all recovered as soon as possible. With all of this being said, what do you think? While we wish this story was satire, it is not. Let us know all of your thoughts in the Comments below! We always appreciate your feedback.
Thieves in every profession.
ATF Tasked with Destroying Firearms; Contractor Steals & Sells them for Profit
Posted 23 hours ago in Daily News, News by Adam Scepaniak with 70 Comments
Tags: atf, batfe, Stolen Guns
atf
A news article with a heading that is fit for satire is unfortunately true. The Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives (BATFE or ATF) is often tasked with the destruction of firearms that are no longer serviceable as duty weapons or are obtained through criminal activity and are no longer needed as evidence. In either scenario and potentially others, the ATF will then file a ton of paperwork (because that is the fun government thing to do) stating that ?X? amount of firearms are to be destroyed. Well, that very vague ?X? now has severe importance because the ATF is attempting to track down a significant amount of firearms that were stolen by an ATF agent and sold for a personal profit.
The person identified as duping the ATF is one of their own: Christopher Yates. He was a contract guard employee at the National Firearms and Ammunition Destruction Branch in Martinsburg, West Virginia where over the course of several years he stole and sold thousands of firearms. We reported on this story in March, but now more information keeps coming to light.
Christopher Yates was charged in April and pleaded guilty to the possession of the stolen guns as well as stealing government property. He is not expected to be sentenced until sometime this August, but when he does he could face up to 10 years in prison for each count against him. The likelihood of him receiving and fulfilling the maximum sentence under federal sentencing guidelines is very low.
Christopher Yates admitted to stealing roughly 3,000 Glock slides and while that component is not a ?firearm? (the frame is the official serial-numbered firearm) that is a hefty amount of theft in parts regardless. He also admitted to stealing dozens of other unspecified firearms and at least 4 fully-automatic firearms. At this time, there are no reports indicating that the 4 full-auto firearms have been recovered. At best estimates, there have been 4,000 firearms and miscellaneous parts recovered that Christopher Yates admitted to stealing.
The ATF is being pretty close-lipped about how many firearms were truly stolen considering they have recovered roughly 4,000 already. The sky could be the limit, but hopefully, that is not the case. In the best interest of the public, hopefully, none of these firearms are used in a heinous action and they are all recovered as soon as possible. With all of this being said, what do you think? While we wish this story was satire, it is not. Let us know all of your thoughts in the Comments below! We always appreciate your feedback.
Thieves in every profession.
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The temptation must have been enormous. Especially if you like and admire guns. What if a rare or custom piece came into your possession as a "to be destroyed" item? Would/could you? Knowing that all you had to do is say it had been destroyed?
That's even before the profit motive creeps in.0 -
He?s up poop creek without a paddle and his canoe has a hole in it. 0 -
and why in the hell would he NOT recieve the max sentence ????????????????????????? our courts now are NO deterrent 0 -
Rocky Raab wrote:The temptation must have been enormous. Especially if you like and admire guns. What if a rare or custom piece came into your possession as a "to be destroyed" item? Would/could you? Knowing that all you had to do is say it had been destroyed?
That's even before the profit motive creeps in.
Place a Singer 1911 colt in my hands to be melted down, and see if I throw it in the smelter.
Let me watch a Holland and Holland double barrel .470 nitro African Special rifle come along the convener belt and see if it makes it to the end.
I hope that poor S.O.B. SAVED 40,000 guns not just the 4000 they got back.
Gunbroker should make him a Honorable Best Seller.0 -
babun wrote:Rocky Raab wrote:The temptation must have been enormous. Especially if you like and admire guns. What if a rare or custom piece came into your possession as a "to be destroyed" item? Would/could you? Knowing that all you had to do is say it had been destroyed?
That's even before the profit motive creeps in.
Place a Singer 1911 colt in my hands to be melted down, and see if I throw it in the smelter.
Let me watch a Holland and Holland double barrel .470 nitro African Special rifle come along the convener belt and see if it makes it to the end.
I hope that poor S.O.B. SAVED 40,000 guns not just the 4000 they got back.
Gunbroker should make him a Honorable Best Seller.
I can truly say I have no idea how the ATF handles firearms such as that you speak of. But I would imagine if they are extremely rare, they would donate them to a museum. But again like I say, I have no idea how they would handle such firearms...
I have no idea why the ATF destroys firearms, and I would be the last one to say that they should destroy them. But no matter what my feelings are towards destroying firearms, it does not make it right to become a criminal to save them, my parents taught me that two wrongs don't make a right. If enough people start telling their congressman to knock this crap off are they going to get reelected, this BS like destroying firearms will stop. Then they could sell them legally and help pay our congressmen's wages with the money they they make selling them...
There are legal ways to stop the insanity of destroying firearms. But We need to do it by getting rid of the idiots that allows it to happen, not through theft
As far as GunBroker making him seller of the year, why the heck would GunBroker honor a Criminal???0 -
Every one in this painting was a criminal. All would have been put to death according to the laws in place when they put their name on a piece of paper that day. We honor them now.
And the federal government knows NOTHING about making money to pay for things they want. Only the poor working slobs like you and me do that.
The feds pay for things by PRINTING money and SIGNING for them.0 -
I can see myself borrowing a few C&R's or special items for a private show and tell. Glock slides,,, that's "stealing" can't be another reason.
Hang em' The higher the better.0 -
babun wrote:Every one in this painting was a criminal. All would have been put to death according to the laws in place when they put their name on a piece of paper that day. We honor them now.
And the federal government knows NOTHING about making money to pay for things they want. Only the poor working slobs like you and me do that.
The feds pay for things by PRINTING money and SIGNING for them.
I totally agree with everything you're saying. But the problem is that we allow this BS to on by allowing the re-election of these liberals and rhinos... if we kick them all out and started out with new oh, and told them that they have to start pulling their own weight or they will be fired immediately, things were changing this country...
But back to the main subject of this thread, this guy was not doing it in the interest of freedom. He was doing it to line his pockets... he was mostly stealing parts of of firearms so he can sell them, not saving firearms for being destroyed. He actually destroyed most of the firearms except for a couple of fully automatic firearms, he was just getting parts off the firearms (Glock slides, not the firearm itself) that you can sell that were not trackable.0 -
He's a hero for saving guns like the looters looting plasma screens after Katrina. 0 -
babun wrote:Every one in this painting was a criminal. All would have been put to death according to the laws in place when they put their name on a piece of paper that day. We honor them now.
The vast majority of them paid a huge personal cost too, lives, property, family members, left destitute, etc. etc......we should never forget !!0 -
all I got to say is, the ATF better not be destroying stolen guns instead of returning them to their rightful owners! 0 -
Yes, this is how the ATF acquires guns......or are obtained through criminal activity0 -
It would be great if Trump signed a rule that required all law enforcement confiscated firearms be return to the lawful owner if possible, or sold at public auction to raise money for the border wall.
8-)0 -
There are crooks everywhere especially in Government.
The BATF should be disbanded IMO.0
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