Sunday, December 8, 2013

All Things Felonious. Say it ain't so, B. Toad Jones. Milwaukee Journal Sentinel report: "ATF uses rogue tactics in storefront stings across the nation."

"Agency said failures of Milwaukee operation were isolated, but the Milwaukee Journal Sentinel found similar issues in at least six cities nationwide — targeting the mentally disabled, encouraging crimes and more."
■ ATF agents befriended mentally disabled people to drum up business and later arrested them in at least four cities in addition to Milwaukee. In Wichita, Kan., ATF agents referred to a man with a low IQ as "slow-headed" before deciding to secretly use him as a key cog in their sting. And agents in Albuquerque, N.M., gave a brain-damaged drug addict with little knowledge of weapons a "tutorial" on machine guns, hoping he could find them one.
■ Agents in several cities opened undercover gun- and drug-buying operations in safe zones near churches and schools, allowed juveniles to come in and play video games and teens to smoke marijuana, and provided alcohol to underage youths. In Portland, attorneys for three teens who were charged said a female agent dressed provocatively, flirted with the boys and encouraged them to bring drugs and weapons to the store to sell.
■ As they did in Milwaukee, agents in other cities offered sky-high prices for guns, leading suspects to buy firearms at stores and turn around and sell them to undercover agents for a quick profit. In other stings, agents ran fake pawnshops and readily bought stolen items, such as electronics and bikes — no questions asked — spurring burglaries and theft. In Atlanta, agents bought guns that had been stolen just hours earlier, several ripped off from police cars.
■ Agents damaged buildings they rented for their operations, tearing out walls and rewiring electricity — then stuck landlords with the repair bills. A property owner in Portland said agents removed a parking lot spotlight,damaging her new $30,000 roof and causing leaks, before they shut down the operation and disappeared without a way for her to contact them.
■ Agents pressed suspects for specific firearms that could fetch tougher penalties in court. They allowed felons to walk out of the stores armed with guns. In Wichita, agents suggested a felon take a shotgun, saw it off and bring it back — and provided instructions on how to do it. The sawed-off gun allowed them to charge the man with a more serious crime.
■ In Pensacola, the ATF hired a felon to run its pawnshop. The move widened the pool of potential targets, boosting arrest numbers.Even those trying to sell guns legally could be charged if they knowingly sold to a felon. The ATF's pawnshop partner was later convicted of pointing a loaded gun at someone outside a bar. Instead of a stiff sentence typically handed down to repeat offenders in federal court, he got six months in jail — and a pat on the back from the prosecutor.
"To say this is just a few people, a few bad apples, I don't buy it," said David Harris, a professor at the University of Pittsburgh School of Law and an expert on law enforcement tactics and regulation. "If your agency is in good shape with policy, training, supervision and accountability, the bad apples will not be able to take things to this level."
The ATF refused the Journal Sentinel's request for an interview with Director B. Todd Jones or other agency officials to address findings of the investigation. Instead, the agency provided a written statement that failed to answer any questions, and spokeswoman Ginger Colbrun suggested reporters read ATF news releases issued after the stings.
My question: Where's the ATF oversight hearings you promised the Fast and Furious whistleblowers almost two years ago, Congressman Issa? Ramsey A. Bear would like to know, too.

12 comments:

SWIFT said...

Amateurs. Rank,criminal, amateurs. That is why they go after mentally handicapped individuals, to carry out their immoral policies and stings. Anyone with two functioning brain cells would pick up on what they are. Other than feeling the sting of bad publicity, there is no remorse within the ATF, for being a collective bunch of lying,shit bag, bottom feeders. No one should be a bit surprised about the contents of this report. All these criminal acts and no one will be punished. Indeed, the truth be known, these criminal acts were sanctioned by the low-life Homies.

Anonymous said...

This is not a few bad apples. This is a failure of policy, from the top down. This is an unConstitutional agency run rampant, trying to justify its own existence by setting up their own bad situation, and then saying, "look what we just stopped!"

B Woodman
III-per

Gunny G said...

The ATF, along with a few dozen illegal fed agencies, need to be disbanded and their leadership put on trial.

Anonymous said...

From the top down, this agency should be dismantled.

Anonymous said...

Not unlike a fire bug that starts a fire and then calls in an alarm to be the hero for reporting it.

Anonymous said...

I am not a legal expert at all. My understanding as a lay person is that there is a legal term called "entrapment", which forbids activities like these mentioned in criminal prosecutions. It sounds like it is becoming systemic. Using handicapped people in this way cannot be excused. It appears like they are creating crimes that would not have existed without this agency's activities and guidance. Instead of "manufacturing" felons, they should go after current felons who have been reported as violating existing laws.

Anonymous said...

I've never been able to grasp the concept of creating a crime problem in order to solve a crime problem. But then again, I've never been mistaken for a genius so maybe it's just over my head.

Anonymous said...

Guess the ATF agency just naturally gravitates to the level slightly above their own intellects ...

III

Anonymous said...

The ATF? Naaaaaaw. Really?




whudda thunk.


ATF= ALL THINGS FUBAR

Anonymous said...

It is criminally illegal to prey upon the mentally handicapped. But when did ATF ever give a flying leap about legal, illegal or human rights?

It is also morally reprehensible that ATF agents preyed upon the mentally handicapped. But then, when has ATF ever been inclined to act with moral character ...

Disband the agency. The FBI is performing the same illegal and morally reprehensible actions. No need for duplication.

SWIFT said...

@ag42b, For the ATF to go after "current felons", would require them to arrest a majority of members of their own agency. In the world of probabilities, you'll see See Eric Holder publicly announce on MSNBC, that he is is a first rate piece of shit first.

Anonymous said...

The ATF has been getting away with this behavior for decades (since the 70's). Numerous congressional oversight hearings have resulted in no changes of this agency's behavior, and I suspect one more will yield similar results.

It will be another dog and pony show, and nothing will change.