Arrested Gunrunner Smuggled Weapons By Bus Into NYC

[onehandle]

Source: AP

NEW YORK (AP) — A gunrunner who smuggled more than 100 weapons from Atlanta and Pittsburgh into New York City on cheap interstate passenger buses bragged about it in a cellphone call to his ex-girlfriend while carrying a cache in a duffel bag on the streets of Manhattan, prosecutors said Wednesday.

"I've got MAC-10s on me, an SK assault rifle and four handguns and I'm walking through New York," Michael Bassier said in the intercepted phone call in March, according to authorities.

The conversation — evidence in a yearlong undercover probe of a gun-trafficking ring — demonstrates the persistent threat of guns that are bought in states with lax gun-control laws, resold to criminals in New York and used in shootings, authorities said a news conference announcing the arrests.

Bassier, 31, was among eight reputed members of the gun ring facing conspiracy and other charges. He was being held without bail following an arraignment on Tuesday; there was no immediate response to a message left on Wednesday with his attorney.

Read more: http://www.huffingtonpost.com/entry/gun-smuggling-nyc_56201a97e4b06462a13b6c57

[melm00se]

1. or

it demonstrates that regulations that amount to almost de facto bans drive up prices to the point where the black market steps in.

[Hoyt]

2. Or that we need national restriction on gunz, not one state trying

to be civilized, while other states allow some yahoo to buy a load of guns and ammo, over and over.

[TrollBuster9090]

3. Dude, he was selling the guns specifically to criminals. Unless you consider criminal records to be

an example of 'regulations.'

And when he DID sell them, it was at a 400% mark up.

"Bassier recruited straw purchasers to pay between $150 to $300 per gun at gun stores and pawn shops and on websites in their home states, then resold them for $800 to $1,200, authorities said."

I don't think a gun that sells for $150 in Georgia sells for $1,200 in New York no matter how big a 'burden' New York's background checks and licensing regulations are on the gun sellers.

Contrary to the right wing trope that criminals get guns by STEALING them, the truth is that they're buying them from straw purchasers who retail them. And the only way to prevent this would be to have a national gun registry. That way, whenever you catch a gang-banger with a gun that he wouldn't be allowed to purchase legally, you can find out who was SUPPOSED to have that gun, and ask him why he no longer does. The only way this crap is ever going to stop is if these straw purchasers start going to jail. However, at the moment, there's no way to convict them because A) there's no requirement for private sellers to do a criminal background check on people they sell guns to, and B) if you want to convict a straw purchaser for selling a gun to a crook, you have to PROVE that he KNEW the guy was a crook, had a criminal record, and wasn't entitled to own a gun. Something that's impossible to prove in court.

[Sunlei]

4. We need National (not state by state) gun regulations.

[PoliticAverse]

5. There are, which is why what he was doing was a violation of federal law. n/t

[GGJohn]

6. Ummmm, he was arrested under Federal law, he committed a Federal Felony,

he'll be doing time in Club Fed.

[Darb]

9. Funny meeting you here. Care to guess how many

people died as a result of this piece of shit being able to easily buy a bunch of guns from some "unsuspecting" gun dealer asshole that ended up killing someone on the street?

I await your immoral justification.

[GGJohn]

10. Back for more punishment?

LOL, you're very entertaining, I think I'm swooning.

[Darb]

18. Delusion makes for happy campers.

Ready to get your ass handed to you again?

How's that composting coming? Or was that farm stuff a bunch of hooey? Place your bets, place your bets.

[GGJohn]

19. "Ready to get your ass handed to you again?"

As I said, you're entertaining as hell, wrong, but entertaining.

[Darb]

27. Pretending you are not getting hammered

doesn't mean you aren't getting hammered. Just that you are tone deaf. Your immoral positions are not only weak-assed, your pretend farming adds a note of hilarity.

Who do you think that you are fooling anyway? Nice flag too BTW.

Your slip is showing.

[GGJohn]

28. LOL.

You're so cute.

[christx30]

12. The guy commited a federal crime.

He was caught. He'll be prosecuted, convicted, and sentenced for his crime. What more are you looking to have happen?

Asking respectfully.

[TrollBuster9090]

15. As I said in another post, I don't think much will happen to him. Mainly because...

Mainly because, while it's technically illegal to buy guns in Georgia for the express purpose of retailing them to crooks and gangsters in New York, it's very difficult to PROVE in court, and therefore very difficult to convict somebody for doing it. You have to have PROOF that he KNEW the people he was selling guns to were crooks, had criminal records, and that they INTENDED to use the guns to commit crimes. In other words, it's useless to have a "law" that's impossible to enforce.

In this case they might actually have some kind of proof that he knew, but that would be a rare exception. Alternatively, if he himself had a criminal record, he wouldn't be entitled to buy guns legally, and they could nail him on that. But again, that would be rare.

If you have no criminal record, and what to make a fortune buying guns in Georgia, and then fencing them to crooks in NYC, just make sure you never ask them what they're planning to do with them...and make sure you read the NRA's helpful "how to" manual on how to get guns across state lines legally.

[JonathanRackham]

37. The article spells it out clearly.

The guy used multiple straw buyers which is a federal violation and had specific intent to sell them on a criminal market.

[TrollBuster9090]

11. I don't think he'll do any time. At most he'll pay a fine for selling firearms without a license.

As I said in an earlier post,It's only a felony to sell (or re-sell, in this case) guns to crooks if you KNOW they are crooks. And since there is no law that requires private gun sellers to CHECK if somebody's a criminal before you sell them a gun, there's virtually now way to PROVE you knew it, and therefore to convict somebody for fencing guns to gangsters.

And that's the main reason the gun lobby fights tooth and nail to prevent laws requiring universal background checks before gun sales. Specifically because it PREVENTS bad guys from getting guns. And their goal is to make sure bad guys DO get guns, because that scares the good guys into buying MORE guns. It's the biggest, the bloodiest, and the most successful RACKET anybody has ever pulled in the United States.

Step 1: Lobby Congress to block any laws that would prevent bad guys from getting guns.
Step 2: Bad guys buy lots of guns through straw purchasers.
Step 3: Good guys get scared by the number of bad guys with guns.
Step 4: Good guys buy lots of guns to protect themselves.
Step 5: Gun makers make shitloads of money selling guns to both good guys AND bad guys.
Step 6: Use some of that money to lobby Congress...(Return to step 1)

So, as I said, unless this guy has a criminal record, the worst that'll happen to him is he'll pay a fine for selling firearms without a license. They can't get him for transporting guns across State lines, because Congress has made sure that's not illegal via a federal law...and the NRA has even published a little "How To" guide for the benefit of the crooks, explaining how to transport firearms across state lines. They know who their clients are.

https://www.nraila.org/articles/20150101/guide-to-the-interstate-transportation

[GGJohn]

14. I could be wrong,

but I believe the ATF takes a dim view of a New Yorker crossing state lines, taking possession of straw purchased firearms, then transporting them back into New York for the purpose of selling them to known gang members.
Key words are he was selling them to gang members that he knew were prohibited from possessing firearms.
IMO, the Feds will prosecute him and he will probably do some time in Club Fed.

[TrollBuster9090]

16. Yes, those ARE the key words. That he was "selling them to gang members that he KNEW were

prohibited from possessing firearms."

That's exactly the operative language. If the NYPD has definitive proof he knew than they can nail him. (Or if he himself had a criminal record that prohibited him from owning them.) But that would be a very rare exception to the rule that that law is almost impossible to enforce, or get a conviction on.

[GGJohn]

17. Unfortunately, you are correct that it's a rare exception that anyone is prosecuted for that crime.

Even when someone knowingly lies on Form 4473 and is denied a sale, the feds, or local law enforcement, will very rarely prosecute.
That needs to stop, every prohibited person who is caught with, or attempts to purchase a firearm needs to be prosecuted to the fullest extent of the law.

[TrollBuster9090]

21. I'll be curious to see how this one comes out. I know Obama made some executive orders about what

executive orders about what constitutes a gun dealer, but I'm not sure what the orders are. Maybe he loosened the definition of what constitutes a licensed gun dealer enough to include these kind of fences? Then maybe they COULD nail these kind of people for selling to crooks without performing the background check?



I'll be curious to see how this one comes out.

[GGJohn]

23. Me too.

Maybe you or I can do an update on this case if or when it's prosecuted.
I'll bookmark it for future reference.

[TrollBuster9090]

25. Thanks. (I guarantee I'll forget!)

[Darb]

22. There you go again.

It's the gun shop that should be held to account. Fucking duh. But you really don't want to do anything about the gun problem, after all, if it weren't so bad you wouldn't have a job being a pretend farmer.

[GGJohn]

26. AWWWW, you're so cute when your wrong.

[Darb]

30. Do they train you to pretend to be

liberal stereotypes as you fish? Obviouso.

[GGJohn]

32. You seem to be irritated,

Here, have a cooking on me.



Freshly baked and made with love just for you.
Enjoy.

[Darb]

35. What, no mass shooting to defend? Got time to search for cookie pics?

Maybe you could practice writing comments that might actually win over some idiots, instead of them running away in horror as you get mangled again. Practice this.......crazy people need toys too, crazy people need toys too, not just me and my company, crazy people need toys too.

There, doesn't that help?

You better get to sleep, pretend farming starts early.

[GGJohn]

39. You don't like freshly baked, made with love chocolate chip cookies?

Ok, then try these.



Oatmeal raisin cookies, not freshly baked, but made with the same love just for you.
Let me know if you enjoyed it, there's plenty more.

[ManiacJoe]

7. I am guessing that the straw purchasers will not be prosecuted.

[Darb]

8. Nor the fucksticks at the gun shop

where he bought them.

[TrollBuster9090]

13. The ATF once published a study

The ATF once published a study that said something like 50% of the guns used by crooks to commit crimes in NYC were purchased from three or four gun stores in Georgia. They were obviously purchased legally,over the counter, in Georgia by straw purchasers, sold to third parties who transported them to other States, and then retailed them.

http://news.wabe.org/post/georgia-no-1-guns-used-out-state-crimes

It appears to be quite the racket, considering that THIS guy was selling them for around four to five times what he bought them for. I suppose the GOP would like that, given that he's a successful business man? Seriously, what have you SOCIALISTS got against a guy making a buck?

[Darb]

20. Figured as much. But don't tell certain folks up thread,

their ass will pucker in private but will do their job and drag out a red herring or two. Just look up thread, you will see who I am talking about. You will see them on every gun related thread, spewing forth the NRA line, almost as if they are paid to do it. Hmmmmmm.

[TrollBuster9090]

24. I'm pretty sure Congress will take action on that ATF report, though!

They'll pass a law...BANNING the ATF from writing reports on gun statistics! FREEDUMB!

[Darb]

33. We can count on them doing nothing with regard to the toys of

the small dick club.

[GGJohn]

36. Ooooh, now the penis reference.

How original.

[Darb]

41. What else could it be?

Grown men playing with toys, pretending to be tough. You tell me, why else would they act so stupidly? Process of elimination actually.

Poor you.

You aren't doing well, hope the ptb don't notice.

[GGJohn]

43. I really think you need a hug.

Here ya go, just for you from me.

[Darb]

46. Cute bear, thanks.

You are still an immoral man.

[GGJohn]

51. Your welcome.

Did you like the cookies?

[GGJohn]

29. You are so cute when you're irritated.

Thanks for the laughs

[Darb]

31. Does the NRA monitor their toadies, I wonder?

Maybe you could help me with that. What do you think?

[GGJohn]

34. Here, have another cookie.

[Darb]

38. The NRA has a cookie pic archive? Whooda thunk it.

Seriously, do you have any idea what the NRA pays trolls? I think that I could do a pretty good job at it. If you run across any NRA trolls ask them if they are in need of anyone to spew for them.

Seems pretty easy.

[GGJohn]

40. Here, try this cookie.

[Darb]

44. The NRA cookie pic database is bigger than I thought.

Do they keep stats on how many straw purchasers get away with selling guns to crazies and crooks that end up killing innocent people? Killing children? Plenty of cookie pics though I see.

Your opinions are immoral. Your actions are immoral.

I feel sorry for you. And your victims.

Go to bed, you gotta fake farm early tomorrow.

[GGJohn]

48. Here's a plate full of an assortment of cookies.

Please enjoy them, they were baked especially for you with love.

[JonathanRackham]

47. Food allergy

Do your cookies contain nuts?

[GGJohn]

49. Not at all,

wife is allergic.

[JonathanRackham]

52. My mistake.

Must be another source of nuts then.

[GGJohn]

53. Not sure I understand the content of your post. eom.

[JonathanRackham]

42. Were they sold with criminal intent?

That would be the deciding factor. Otherwise a frivolous lawsuit and the dealer could stand to win and be paid.

[Darb]

45. Another immoral justification for toy proliferation.

Geez you guys got serious issues with civil society.

[JonathanRackham]

50. You missed the point of the OP.

As well as the whole point of the thread.

[Hangingon]

54. Looks like this guy has some problems.

http://www.newsday.com/news/new-york/michael-bassier-7-co-defendants-arrested-as-gun-trafficking-ring-busted-brooklyn-prosecutors-say-1.10962738

He is facing a 541 count indictment. Seven people in his operation have been identified and, hopefully, will be prosecuted. I don't think prosecution is as impossible as many here believe.