WPost: Realco(Gun Store) guns tied to 2,500 crimes in D.C. and Maryland

[RamboLiberal]

Outside a baby shower in Landover three years ago, Erik Kenneth Dixon snapped. As he argued with his sister and her boyfriend in a parking lot, the 25-year-old man whipped out a .45-caliber Glock and shot her in the leg. Then he chased down her boyfriend, firing between cars and at the running man's feet until he slipped on wet grass. As the prone man held his hands up in futile defense, Dixon executed him, firing seven times.

By law, Dixon was prohibited from owning a gun. He had spent almost three years in prison for shooting at a man. But three months before the baby-shower killing, he gave his girlfriend $335 and took her to an old brick house on a commercial strip just beyond the District line in Forestville, home to a gun shop called Realco.

"He knew which one he wanted and picked it out," the woman would later tell police.

Dixon's Glock was one of 86 guns sold by Realco that have been linked to homicide cases during the past 18 years, far outstripping the total from any other store in the region, a Washington Post investigation has found. Over that period, police have recovered more than 2,500 guns sold by the shop, including over 300 used in non-fatal shootings, assaults and robberies.

http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2010/10/23/AR2010102302994.html?hpid=topnews

Has to be a bit difficult for gun shops to weed out straw purchasers, but I'd sure be for the straw purchasers being charged & if convicted a decent length prison term. I'd also love to see this fact publicized heavily. Put up billboards! IMHO I bet a lot of the purchasers are dumb ass women buying guns for their felon boyfriends.

[AtheistCrusader]

1. I'm pretty sure I saw such a transaction once.

I mentioned to the guy at the counter that it seemed suspicious, the conversation she was having on her cell phone, where someone was telling her what to buy, but neither of us could justify calling the cops on it, because she may have just been getting advice.

Still, I think the seller should have refused the sale, and I told him so, and haven't done business there since.

[brewens]

2. It's probably not hard to pick out the straw purchaser. Most

people wouldn't buy a gun for someone like that. They get some drunk or crack whore girlfriend to do it that sticks out like a turd in a punch bowl. They ignore the rules to make a buck. Word spreads among the lowlifes that they can get their guns there.

[wtmusic]

3. The straw purchasers are exercising their Second Amendment rights

A2 says every citizen has the right to bear arms. If "straw purchasers" want to make a gift to their felon boyfriends, what's to stop them? :shrug:

[RamboLiberal]

4. Well they lie on the Form they have to fill out

stating they are not buying the gun for someone else. I'm all for prosecuting straw purchasers and think the crime should be more heavily publicized. I'm still pissed the young woman who bought guns for the Columbine killers was never prosecuted while 2 others who supplied them with a gun were.

[OneTenthofOnePercent]

6. Correction: "The straw purchasers are *illegally* exercising their Second Amendment rights."

Similar to the fashion is which you *ignorantly* exercise your First Amendment rights.

Just because an amendment protects a right, does not mean other federal/state/local laws aren't being violated or that the right is being exercised intelligently.

[wtmusic]

11. OK so you agree that state laws can limit the right to bear arms

Just wanted to make sure I had your position straight :D

[OneTenthofOnePercent]

14. State/Local laws can reasonably limit ANY right.

That is why the SCOTUS exists... to determine what is reasonable and what is unconstitutional.
Not only for guns, but for most any laws.

Does the right exist for exery person to be able to arm/defend themselves? Yes.
To what extent? Well that seems to be the million dollar question.

[wtmusic]

16. If state laws can limit any right

then a state law which required people to arm themselves with rubber bands only would be entirely constitutional.

[OneTenthofOnePercent]

18. You know... there ARE some local laws that compel citizens to own firearms.

As in... you have to own firearms. And I don't think they've been ruled unconstitutional.
Although, I'm not sure how strictly those ordinances are enforced. (FYI - it's in Kennesaw, GA)
Also, there ARE laws that require drivers to protect themselves with auto insurance and (soon) to buy into life insurance pools.

What's you're point?
If my state required me to own/carry a rubber band... what right do you feel would be infringed?

[wtmusic]

19. You're reading too fast.

"a state law which required people to arm themselves with rubber bands only would be entirely constitutional".

[oneshooter]

20. Just as a law limiting computer use to .5 seconds per day would be. n/t

[cleanhippie]

28. And by your logic, Roe v. Wade should be a states right issue, not a Constitutional protection

And the choice to have an abortion would rest in the hands of any given State. You can only have it one way or the other. You don't get to choose which way you want to lean on different issues. Equal protection and exercise of the law. I assume you support that, right?

[jazzhound]

23. I'd like to be straight on your position as well.

But when it comes right down to it, why would your "position" have any credibility when you continuously refuse to tell us why you falsified the conclusion of the 1986 Kellermann "study"?

http://www.democraticunderground.com/discuss/duboard.php?az=show_topic&forum=118&topic_id=334436#334468

Your "positions" are compromised by the fact that you're a disciple of a fool who believes that the benefits of defensive gun use are measured in intruders killed rather than citizens protected.

[slackmaster]

9. The right to buy a gun for a convicted felon has been curtailed through due process of law

It's not possible to buy one from a licensed gun dealer without committing perjury. You can buy one from a private party in some states, but giving it to the convicted felon is still a crime.

Please try to keep up with the rapid pace of change.

[wtmusic]

12. Let's use due process of law to limit access to handguns too

See a difference? I don't. :shrug:

[OneTenthofOnePercent]

17. Go for it.

Write and pass a law aligned with your desires and defend it all the way past the Supreme Court.
There are processes in place to challenge rights and address laws. Good luck, you'll need it.

First off though, can you prove that limiting handguns (restricting rights) is justified by a worthwhile drop in crime? If you're talking about taking rights away, it had better have good justification. That would be difficult to prove and likely wash out with no statistical correlations available for either side of the debate. Even an all-out ban would still leave 300 million firearms out there with which to feed a black market. Plus, you have to consider that pistols had indeed existed when the Constitution was written so clearly the framers intended pistols to be among the list of assessable arms.

[wtmusic]

21. Fair enough

except I will challenge the notion that just because a weapon existed at the time the Constitution was written renders it de facto "assessable".

State laws which limit private ownership of artillery would also therefore be unconstitutional.

[PavePusher]

27. I agree.

But you seem to be implying that non-criminal private ownership of artillery would be a bad thing. Why?

[one-eyed fat man]

35. What law limiting artillery?

Not here! In fact, under Federal law this doesn't even count as a firearm.



This particular "lawn ornament" will launch a 12 pound, 4-1/2 inch diameter solid iron ball about 1500 yards at 5 degrees elevation. Even more fun is canister. A standard load of canister for the 1841 Mountain Howitzer - contains 148 individual .69 caliber lead "musket balls".

All 148 lead balls are packed into a 4-1/2" diameter tin can with the spaces between the balls, filled with saw dust. Total weight of this load is about 10-1/4 pounds. Velocity of the load is approximately 1000 feet per second, being devastatingly effective against advancing zombie hordes to about 250 yards. (Individual results may vary.)



I suppose someone on intent on mischief could wreak considerable havoc with one, but my view is that barring a history of past criminal behavior or mental disability, most folks should be able to possess most anything for lawful purposes. Prior restraint on something just because somebody might possibly mis-use it?? Do we ban bathtubs just because some women use them to drown their kids?

[oneshooter]

36. Do you mean this type of artillery?

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=CvncpT4EVzQ

Or this type: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8dSdnxxrjGQ&NR=1

All are legal privately owned weapons


Oneshooter
Armed and Livin in Texas

[slackmaster]

34. I think it's already been limited enough

:hi:

[lepus]

5. The 2nd is a right, not a privilege

If there are thoughts that the silly mother farker was too dangerous to walk around in free society, why was he let loose in the first place? Blame the parole board that let him go and the court that did not make sure he served his full term.

Straw purchase? No such thing except in the silly dreams of gun control advocates. It has been noticed by many that most people that use guns unlawfully have a long history with the law, and a history of violence before they ever kill anyone. Keep them locked up till they are safe and most of these problems will disappear.

Woops, sorry, my bad. They had to let him go to make room for a non violent pot grower, seller, or consumer. Tell the guy that got shot that it's cool and he can start breathing and get back up again.

[RamboLiberal]

7. So you wouldn't prosecute someone who can legally purchase

a gun using that privalege to buy the weapon for someone who cannot legally own a gun?

Sorry but I'm no damn gun control advocate & I believe that a straw purchase is a crime and should be prosecuted.

And not all killers have a violent record & you sure can't keep them locked up forever.

I am with you on we shouldn't be locking up non-violent drug offenders & that we should at least legalize marijauna.

[slackmaster]

10. I heard you were eaten by lupus

Was that an exaggeration?

[wtmusic]

13. Exactly my point. Prosecute the irresponsible parents who brought him into the world.

Let's get to the root of the problem!

[Katya Mullethov]

31. Generally speaking , that would be the singular "parent "

With the main bread winner in the household being Uncle Sugar . Sugar likes the "hands off" approach to child rearing .

[pipoman]

32. Is this some sort of

parody or do you actually believe this shit?

Straw purchase? No such thing except in the silly dreams of gun control advocates.

Are you sure you know what a straw purchase is?

[SteveM]

37. Probably parody; I haven't see much serious stuff from gun-control advocates.

[Katya Mullethov]

8. Differences in perception

Interpreting the news can be fun .



Gun laws fail to work 2,500 times in one locality alone

story by David Phallus and photos by Ricky Carrot-top
Washington Post Pravda Bureau


By law, Dixon was prohibited from owning a gun. But he know that gun dealers at Realco could not read minds. So, he sent his girlfriend in to break the law, which she then did.

The real tragedy is that Dixon was not lined up and shot. Or, that his unwed whore of a mom went ahead and gave birth to him because the US government would give her more free money with which to buy illicit narcotics.

Realco has been an accused seller of "crime guns", but sloppy this smear piece suggests that the criminal acts of others are somehow their fault. And yet ironically, they refuse to hold anyone accountable for their direct criminal acts.

The Post investigation found that gun stores near high crime areas are most often the victim of such fraudulent buyers.

The investigation also found that:

-- Other high volume gun stores near criminal areas had the same problem. Further, they had been harassed out of business by the same federal government that claims to believe in the 2nd Amendment and support of small business.

-- The federal Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives,explained it is hamstrung by the lack of glory holes within stakeout distance of these gun stores.

The store is a paradox for law enforcement and politicians. Its owners scrupulously follow handgun laws and yet, they still want to shut them down anyway.

[Name removed]

15. Deleted message

Message removed by moderator. Click here to review the message board rules.

[east texas lib]

25. Hey, keep reality out of this!

You's such a meanie.

[PavePusher]

22. Can we get a report on...

which car dealers have sold the most cars used in crimes?

About as useful and relevent.

[Texasborncowboy]

24. I find this troubling.

A licensed dealer sells a gun to someone who passes the background check. The purchaser breaks the law by giving it to a felon and the dealer is the bad guy?

[RamboLiberal]

26. Yep - these gun stores should be expected to employ mind-readers

:sarcasm:

We have a gun store in my area in an inner city. Been there long before the Gander Mountains or other stores moved into the suburbs. One time it was a great working class neighborhood. One of the very few places people could buy handguns, hunting rifles and shotguns plus ammo & supplies & get gunsmithing without having to drive to more rural small stores. Of course the neighborhood changed around it as the working class saw their manufacturing jobs eliminated. As white flight had residents moving to the suburbs and the neighborhood growing rundown as shopping moved to malls.

And of course the guns in crimes sold by this store went up. And of course whenever there is a high profile shooting with a gun coming from this store or acting as FFL in the transaction the local news media likes to play this up.

[ManiacJoe]

29. Five pages of text and not a single paragraph

about any of the straw purchasers being prosecuted. THIS is an obvious problem with an easy fix.
:grr:

[Katya Mullethov]

30. It is unfortunate , but agents Burnahm and Bagham

Are otherwise engaged with compliance inspections .

[Remmah2]

33. Of the 2500 crimes, how many were drive by shootings? nt

nt

[Euromutt]

38. "The store is a paradox for law enforcement and politicians."

I thought this was quite a significant passage, and maybe it illustrates what the problem actually is:

In Maryland, Realco towers over the other 350 handgun dealers in the state as a source of guns confiscated in the District and Prince George's County, the most violent jurisdictions in the area. Nearly one out of three guns The Post traced to Maryland dealers came from Realco. The rest were spread among other shops across the state.

The store is a paradox for law enforcement and politicians. Its owners say they scrupulously follow handgun laws. State and federal regulators have documented only minor problems in numerous inspections.

"The owners of Realco Guns are cooperative with our detectives and have been compliant with all reporting requirements," said Maj. Andy Ellis, commander of the public affairs division for Prince George's police. "It shows a weakness in our system when a company like Realco can adhere to the law yet still be the source of so many crime guns. I can only imagine how much lower our violent-crime rate would be if Realco sold shoes instead of guns."

<...>

Glenn Ivey said that after he became Prince George's state's attorney in 2002, he asked law enforcement colleagues if he could do anything about the flow of guns from Realco, which he said he knew of from his time in the 1990s as a prosecutor in the District.

"I had an eye toward trying to take action," Ivey said. "The feedback we got was: They are doing it the way they are supposed to. They are following the letter of the law."

Asked about Realco, ATF spokeswoman Clare Weber said stores with greater numbers of traces are inspected more frequently.

"The number of traces that come back to a is not a revocable offense if the dealer is found in compliance with record-keeping requirements," she said.

Italics mine.

It seems fairly evident to me that the root of the perceived problem with Realco is that it's located in an area that is particularly prone to violent crime; from 1984 to 2006, Prince George's County accounted for ~20% of homicides in Maryland, and of course, it's adjacent to south-eastern D.C. In other words, the shop has the misfortune to be located in a area with a particularly high demand for crime guns. Major Ellis indicates he doesn't understand the fact that the flow of guns into the criminal circuit is a demand-driven phenomenon; "if Realco sold shoes instead of guns," the people who want guns for criminal purposes wouldn't stop committing crimes, simply acquire their guns from another FFL, and then that FFL would be "the problem." So there's no evidence that Realco is doing anything wrong, at least not knowingly, so there's no mens rea, which is a crucial element in firearms trafficking offenses.

I am, frankly, disappointed (though by no means surprised) that the WaPo's analysis is tendentious, guiding the reader to a conclusion that Realco is "the problem," even if unintentionally, rather than that Realco sells a comparatively large number of crime guns because Prince George County and neighboring D.C. evidently have a comparatively large number of violent criminals.

[Xmit]

39. I have been selling all manners of weapons

for about three years now.

I have identified and reported a total of ten (10), suspected straw sales to the FBI. All of which I denied on the spot.

I have received responses on approximately eight (8) which I reported, and all eight (8) turned out to be legit. After reporting, two (2) turned out to be issues.

I have been called by the FBI for information on one (1) NICS check I have run. That guy was legally not allowed to own a firearm, he was "delayed", the FBI called for his address five minutes after I ran NICS. The report I received was that the Sheriff appeared at his home and confiscated EVERY weapon in the premises. I have had denials from NICS that this did not happen.


If the sale is that obviously fake, most responsible FFL's catch it. If they don't they sacrifice the license they hold which without, they destroy their livelihood.

It's easy, if there is another party there giving "advice" you ask for their ID, if they refuse, I refuse, it's probably dirty.

Bottom line, while NICS could be more effective, it's pretty damn good now.