Feds Seize Collectors Antique gun Collection, look for Something to Charge him With

[Dean Weingarten]

ALBUQUERQUE (KRQE) - A federal search warrant affidavit outlines the massive raid that seized nearly 1,500 firearms from the home and business of an Albuquerque man and why the feds were after him.

Last week rifles lined the lawn of a northeast Albuquerque home that belonged to Robert Adams. Homeland Security Investigations was also busy loading hundreds of handguns into boxes.

It took federal agents days to log every weapon seized into evidence.

Four search warrants filed Thursday show the HSI investigators seized nearly 900 firearms from Adams' home. There were 548 handguns and 317 rifles listed in the warrant return inventory.

They also searched his office that day taking 599 pistols and revolvers.

Adams has not been charged with any crimes although Homeland Security said the investigation is not over yet.

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From the comments:

"Bob Adams is one of the most reputable firearms collectors in the Southwest. His knowledge and collection is varied and wide ranging. He has a Relics and Curios FFL which allows him to buy and sell ANTIQUE weapons. Something stinks here. I've known the man 20 years or more. Almost ALL of the weapons confiscated(stolen by the feds) were collectible pieces. It's all he dealt in, rare and unique collectibles. To me, this looks like the BATF going after one of the last "home businesses" they can find.."

http://www.krqe.com/dpp/news/crime/feds-seized-nearly-1500-guns-in-raid

 

[Dean Weingarten]

These are Stalinesqe tactics

Seize 1500 guns from a prominent collector of antiques, then look for something to charge him with?

There are so many laws on the books that they will find something. This does not sound like law enforcement. This sounds like domestic terrorism by the government.

 

[xfyrfiter]

Just this AM on the local news, they said he was going to be charged with illegal importation, and or export, of firearms. Being that this was just another talking head, I don't know how much credence to put into the story. We will find out eventually.

 

[M-Cameron]

it sounds as though there may be some issues with him potentially importing/ exporting firearms illegally, which i can see grounds for issuing a search warrant. its sounds as though they are looking for proof of that rather than just raiding him and finding something to charge him with.


......as of right now there really doesnt seem to be enough information available to make an informed decision as to whether this was a legitimate raid or not.

 

[jamesbeat]

Obviously we need to know more before we jump to any conclusions, but if he really does just have a C&R license, they are for collecting only, not for running a business.

 

[El Chivato]

Yet, we have a very bad gang problem in Albuquerque, I don't see any raids against them. This looks like a setup to me.

 

[Sniper66]

Our government is clearly out of control. Just had my annual physical and having retired I switched to Medicare. My doctor shared with me her fears of the feds. Doctors are under constant threat of prosecution even if they accidentally file an inaccurate Medicare claim. Is it any wonder more and more docs refuse to accept Medicare? The same will be true of this avid gun collector; they will find something to charge him with. Scary times.

 

[22-rimfire]

What prompted Homeland Security to raid his home in the first place? What did the search warrant say and what was the justification?

Guess some government people would like to put a limit on how many firearms you can own. Next they will be putting limits on how much food you're allowed to store inside your home.

 

[Adam the Gnome]

We need to all pitch in and buy a cruise ship, have a hotel of guns in international waters
Edited to add sarcasm warning

 

[Yo Mama]

^ I'm in.

 

[MattShlock]

Well, he MIGHTA done something wrong. Right?

 

[Deanimator]

Never forget that the BATF(E) once made an OFFICIAL training video on how to lie under oath.

Weigh the veracity of any of their statements in light of that.

 

[Manco]

I'm sure they'll find the evidence they're looking for, whether it exists or not. I don't worry at all about the US government becoming tyrannical, actually--it already is....

 

[feedthehogs]

There's always the fall back of finding kiddie porn on the computer when your initial search warrants turn up nothing.

 

[HOOfan_1]

I don't worry at all about the US government becoming tyrannical, actually--it already is....

an has been almost before the ink dried on the Constitution.

Alien and Sedition Acts
Nullification Crisis of 1832
Suspension of habeas corpus during the Civil War, see Ex parte Merryman

 

[Bubbles]

Obviously we need to know more before we jump to any conclusions, but if he really does just have a C&R license, they are for collecting only, not for running a business.

He holds a Type 08 importer's license, not a C&R. Number is 5-85-00983, publically available info from the ATF's web site.

 

[EBK]

Remember WACO and RUBY RIDGE.

I believe there was a guy in california as well that somehow managed to shoot himself in the head with a cocked and locked (when they found it in his hands; yea thats right safety was on) 1911 during an ATF RAID.

Domestic terrorists is an understatement.

 

[Cesiumsponge]

Never forget that the BATF(E) once made an OFFICIAL training video on how to lie under oath.

Source for this interesting tidbit?

Nevermind, I backtracked to 1995 and found NFA division chief Thomas Busey uttering, ""Let me say that when we testify in court, we testify that the data base is 100 percent accurate. That's what we testify to, and we will always testify to that. As you probably well know, that may not be 100 percent true.". I assume this: http://4.bp.blogspot.com/_Ll5chfz1q...0W4/s1600-h/ScreenHunter_01+Apr.+11+10.08.jpg

 

[Sam1911]

Hey, let's wait a bit here and find out what is actually going on before we all jump on this guy's side. I don't want to believe he was breaking the law, myself, but at least let's see some charges before we decide he's an innocent victim.

I'm not quite ready to believe in the "raid him and find something to charge him with" theory.

The article also says:

...they're also investigating him for possible gun smuggling, tax evasion and violating importation laws.

Court documents reveal federal agents were watching Adams for years and that some documentation was missing "to determine to whom Adams [was] selling or exporting his firearms."

The guns were also not properly marked possibly to make the guns more valuable and to avoid paying high import taxes, investigators alleged.

...

The search warrant also said Adams was investigated in Canada for keeping about 80 illegal guns in a storage unit. U.S. agents worked with Canadian police on that case.

As in other cases, such as the one of Jose Guerena, "our guy" may not be the squeaky clean hero we'd all like to think.

Things are a little scary right now. It really doesn't do us any good to see conspiracy and injustice where it isn't. Let's find out a bit more before we latch onto yet another reason to vilify the federales.

Sure wouldn't be the first time a (perhaps one might say a tad obsessive) collector bent or broke a law or two to get something he really wanted, or to finance his habit. Just speculation, but there's a lot of that going around.

 

[Manco]

Hey, let's wait a bit here and find out what is actually going on before we all jump on this guy's side.

Fair enough, but for the record, the statements I made assumed neither innocence nor guilt on his part.

 

[Jim K]

He probably committed a serious crime, for which prosecution and imprisonment is inevitable - he voted for Romney.

Jim

 

[cyclopsshooter]

We need to all pitch in and buy a cruise ship, have a hotel of guns in international waters

With regular runs to the Horn of Africa.

 

[BHP FAN]

''The guns were also not properly marked possibly to make the guns more valuable and to avoid paying high import taxes, investigators alleged...''

collectors often pay a premium for WWII G.I. ''bringbacks'' [Arisaka's with intact ''mums'', and no ''Blue Sky Imports'' billboard on the barrel] that have no import marks. Nothing at all illegal about it. They're ''reaching''... IMHO.

 

[wv109323]

It may be that the BATFE determined that he was "engaged in the Business". The article says he has a C&R license. With that license you can not "engage in the business". It is for you to collect relics. If he had a high volume of sales and it can be determined that he made profit he is probably in violation.

 

[Deltaboy1984]

This stinks to high heaven.