Mass AG sues online ammo sellers

[Preacherman]

From Boston WCBS880 (http://wcbs880.com/nynews/NY--OnlineAmmunition--on/resources_news_html):

Attorney general sues online ammo dealers

Wednesday October 15, 2003

BOSTON (AP) Attorney General Thomas Reilly's office has sued two online retailers and reached settlements with three others over allegations of illegal ammunition sales to Massachusetts residents.

The actions were taken following undercover stings.

Reilly's office said none of the dealers held proper Massachusetts licenses to sell ammunition or verified that the buyer was authorized to buy ammunition under Massachusetts law.

The settlements were reached with Discount Distributors, Inc. of West Berlin, N.J., which operates www.ammoman.com; Midway Arms, Inc. of Columbia, Mo. (www.midwayusa.com); and Kiesler's Police Supply of Jeffersonville, Ind. (www.kieslersonline.com). All three will pay a $2,500 fine, Reilly's office said.

Suits were also filed in Suffolk Superior Court against The Ammo Bank (www.ammobank.com) of Rochester, N.Y. and Cascade Ammunition (www.ammunitionplus.com) of Roseburg, Ore.

A man who declined to give his name but identified himself as the owner of The Ammo Bank said he had no knowledge of the suit and declined to comment.

Jerry Applegarth, who identified himself as one of several owners of Cascade Ammunition, said he knew no details about the suit and also had no comment.

Last month, Reilly's office sued three online cigarette dealers, accusing them of failing to verify that buyers were at least 18.

 

[Justin]

Ya know it's bad when there's a gov't type running scams that not even the Mafia would think of.

 

[Devonai]

I won't miss this guy one bit when I finally get my butt to NH next month.

 

[Mark Tyson]

What mean spirited nonsense. Why doesn't this clown spend his time (and taxpayer money) prosecuting people who hurt people rather than harassing legitimate businesses?

 

[Brian Dale]

Gee, and with National Ammo Day coming up, too. Be sure to tell them if this harrassment played a part in your decision to buy ammo from them during the week of November 19th.

Can felony warrants be sworn out against the folks in the AG's office who made the purchases that they describe as "illegal?" Federal, 'cause it's across state lines, and all that ... or in the states where these merchants have their places of business? A headline I'd like to see:

FBI Probes Mass. AG's Office for Illegal Arms Trafficking

 

[Blain]

I thought only congress could regulate commerce between the states.....

 

[cpileri]

nah

he was just testing the waters to see if the ammo industry would fight back, or pay; if they would band trogether and fight or not; and how easily they parted with a paltry sum (fine).

Now he knows they are not fighters, not unified, and have moderately deep pockets.

next step will bankrupt the industry or make it so annoying that they will quit it voluntarily.

C-

 

[Blain]

Someone must stop this madman!

I mean, really. If you are out of state, and you ignore the AG of another state, what can he do?

 

[Bill Hook]

This is harrassment intended to stop sales of ammo to MA subjects.

 

[Standing Wolf]

Why doesn't this clown spend his time (and taxpayer money) prosecuting people who hurt people rather than harassing legitimate businesses?

1. Taxachussetts has billions of dollars' worth of budget surpluses, so what difference does a bit more or less squandering make?

2. Legitimate businesses have more money than criminals.

3. Criminals in Taxachussetts vote for representatives of the Democratic (sic) party, so it would hardly do to inconvenience them more than absolutely necessary.

 

[Bruce H]

Must be nice to commit a crime so he can prosecute it. Wouldn't RICO apply th this?

 

[Blain]

RICO?

 

[StuporDave]

This is harrassment intended to stop sales of ammo to MA subjects.

Just looked at the ammoman site and saw -

"SORRY NO SALES TO MASSACHUSETTS RESIDENTS"

Guess it's working.

Dave

 

[Brian Dale]

IIRC, it stands for the Racketeering-Influenced and Corrupt Organizations Act, passed in the 1970s or 1980s to deal with organized crime, and especially with large drug-dealing and money-laundering operations. It provided for enhanced federal penalties in cases where there were patterns of criminal activity, conspiracy and crimes by groups who engaged in crime as part of their reason for being. I'm probably overstating this, but that was the general idea. Not to put words into Bruce's mouth, but I read his post as essentially asking if the Mass AG could be prosecuted as a "crime boss."

Just saw StuporDave's comment: maybe it's time for Federal charges alleging conspiracy to interfere with interstate commerce.

 

[FPrice]

Standing Wolf...

"Taxachussetts has billions of dollars' worth of budget surpluses,"

Not hardly. And that is, I believe, one of the problems. I think that he is trying every thing he can to make honest gun owners and firearms/ammo dealers pay more into the state coffers. For example, all firerms licenses went from $25 every five years to $100 every four years. And they were quite open about the fact that about half the money collected went to the state general fund.