15 indicted by feds for straw purchases

[billybob44]

I was in a store when a young woman walked in, about mid-20's. It became obvious to even me she was making a straw purchase. They refused. I asked how they were certain. They have parking lot cameras and keep an eye on the lot. The dude that drove her there was waiting in the vehicle for her. One of the staff had seen him hand her cash and he was obviously older, definitely not mid-20s, likely in his mid-30's. They told me their radar goes up when anyone comes in with a wad of crumpled 10's and 20's to buy a pistol, even when the other things they had seen don't occur. The money transfer in the vehicle was the clinched it as a no-go, before she got through the door but they played it out for a while at the counter.

Saw almost the same thing years ago=Pre camera times.
Young Gal comes into a store that I was "Window Shopping" in-Hand full of cash-says She wants 2 Ruger P-85's and something else (I don't remember what?), and pushes the pile of $$ towards the Counter Person.
The Counter Person pulls a P-85 from the display case to show Her, She says "Yeah, Whatever", and tells them that She wants 2 and the other handgun too.
The Counter Person could have showed Her a Star Wars Action Figure and She would not have known the difference.
The Counter Person had Her fill out the 4477(s), totaled up the purchase + tax and found out the buyer was $20.00 some $'s short==The Gal said just a minute-out the door She went to the parking lot-and back in with the $$.
I never thought that Dealer would have done that-BUT-times was tuff at that time for the Business.
That's the first time that I had ever witnessed a Straw Purchase??.

 

[Cameramonkey]

Saw almost the same thing years ago=Pre camera times.
Young Gal comes into a store that I was "Window Shopping" in-Hand full of cash-says She wants 2 Ruger P-85's and something else (I don't remember what?), and pushes the pile of $$ towards the Counter Person.
The Counter Person pulls a P-85 from the display case to show Her, She says "Yeah, Whatever", and tells them that She wants 2 and the other handgun too.
The Counter Person could have showed Her a Star Wars Action Figure and She would not have known the difference.
The Counter Person had Her fill out the 4477(s), totaled up the purchase + tax and found out the buyer was $20.00 some $'s short==The Gal said just a minute-out the door She went to the parking lot-and back in with the $$.
I never thought that Dealer would have done that-BUT-times for tough at that time for the Business.
That's the first time that I had ever witnessed a Straw Purchase??.

Maybe you saw the straw purchase ShooterSix was talking about!

 

[KellyinAvon]

From where I sit at the 1500? I see a lot of what I would bet are straw purchases. Do I know for sure? No. Would I put a chunk of change on a bet that it was? Oh yes.

 

[INgunowner]

... Young people are just as stupid
as old people?

They merely lack experience.
Hence the seemingly successful investigation.

Almost like there's some sort of pattern huh

Oldest perp listed is only 27 years old.

 

[Mgderf]

... Young people are just as stupid
as old people?

They merely lack experience.
Hence the seemingly successful investigation.

Granted, it's common knowledge that young(er) people are, in general, not as astute.
I'm wondering if they haven't been recruited to make straw purchases.

When I saw the title of the thread, my first thoughts were of the "Fast and Furious" debacle.

 

[Angrysauce]

From where I sit at the 1500? I see a lot of what I would bet are straw purchases. Do I know for sure? No. Would I put a chunk of change on a bet that it was? Oh yes.

I agree. The Straw Purchase seems to be very similar to Obscenity in it's interpretation. "You know it when you see it."
I loaned my FiL some cash to buy a Marlin Model 60 at the 1500. He came intending to not buy anything and found something his father gave him as a boy that was sold off years ago. Some dealers would be squeamish with that, but, in context, a 50ish year old buying a 50ish year old tubefed rimfire with his SiL isn't all that concerning.
Now if it were a woman buying multiple handguns, seemingly reading from a script, as two dudes hover nearby; that certainly seems fishy.

 

[INgunowner]

wondering if they haven't been recruited

By those one step removed from prosecution,
Those who paid a small premium for the luxury of purchasing a firearm anonymously across state lines.

These fools were merely the tool and conduit respectively. Without a doubt they were a net drain on society.
However the true evil is one step up the ladder and out of reach.

Law enforcement did just that, enforced the law. And yet stopping the flow did little to protect the public.

The alternative is the incompetence displayed by F&F.

An effective middle ground somehow continues to elude authorities.

 

[JAL]

From where I sit at the 1500? I see a lot of what I would bet are straw purchases. Do I know for sure? No. Would I put a chunk of change on a bet that it was? Oh yes.

There are straw purchase networks with a honcho or two running it that dupe crews of 20-somethings similar to those that were arrested into going to various gun stores across a major city to buy one or two handguns at a time. One 20-something makes some $$$$$ doing it, tells the buds he knows about the easy $$$$$ to be made, and the crew of them grows by word-of-mouth.

The usual downfall occurs when the handguns start showing up being recovered at crime scenes and 4473's trace them back to one person buying at multiple gun stores. They scoop that one up, putting enough pressure on him with the arrest and the probable time to be spent in Club Fed, and it starts to unravel like yanking on broken yarn in a knitted sweater. Getting the first one or two in the crew doesn't happen overnight. The time from purchase to crime scene recovery averages several years. When the first one or two start singing to cut prosecution deals, it accelerates with scooping up more of the crew and eventually the top banana(s) running the crew, which is the dude(s) they want to get to the most. Very much like taking down an illegal drug organization, working their way up the hierarchy.

 

[mmpsteve]

Daylen Bell, 24, Indianapolis
Jaylyn Lamont Crenshaw, 25, Indianapolis
Michaela Evan Day, 27, Indianapolis
Michael Glen Day, 23, Indianapolis
Davone Trae Eans, 24, Indianapolis
Kendall Rayshaun Ezell, 21, Indianapolis
Anthony Keith Jones, 24, Indianapolis
Isiah Thomas Keller, 21, Greenfield
Anthony James Morst, 24, Indianapolis
Caleb Morris Redman, 23, Indianapolis
Jordan Devon Ross, 24, Gary
Derrion Wisdom Scruggs, 23, Unknown
Michael Coreal Stubbs, 22, Indianapolis
Demetrius Andre Young, 24, Indianapolis
Jalen Charles Zimmerman, 23, Indianapolis








Hmmmm, nope not gonna do it.

C'mon, man! There's a Caleb in there. You know it's gotta be the Amish ..... again.

.

 

[Dingleberry]

C'mon, man! There's a Caleb in there. You know it's gotta be the Amish ..... again.

.

Felony butter churning no doubt.

 

[BE Mike]

Brian Terry suffered the ultimate fate via the ATF. https://www.cbsnews.com/news/brian-terry-family-sues-atf-officials-in-fast-and-furious/

 

[Winamac]

A few years ago I was at the Cabelas up north by Gary/Hammond. I was purchasing a firearm and I was just making small talk with the gun counter sales person who just happened to be a woman (not that it matters, just for the story). Anyway, we got to talking about straw purchases. She was telling me that they get gang banger/hood rats from Chicago all the time in the store that have wrap sheets longer than both arms. So they come in with thier girl friends and TRY to get them to purchase. Lady said they know it is a straw purchase and they deny the sale.In doing so. She said she has been cussed out, yelled at called everything in the book and been threatened with violence. She said it is just plain crazy.

 

[Dingleberry]

... Young people are just as stupid
as old people?

They merely lack experience.
Hence the seemingly successful investigation.

Well age wasn't.....oh nevermind.

 

[rugertoter]

Well while I can dream, I'm okay with a total government collapse as well.

Well, that would be ugly too...for all of us.

 

[rugertoter]

A few years ago I was at the Cabelas up north by Gary/Hammond. I was purchasing a firearm and I was just making small talk with the gun counter sales person who just happened to be a woman (not that it matters, just for the story). Anyway, we got to talking about straw purchases. She was telling me that they get gang banger/hood rats from Chicago all the time in the store that have wrap sheets longer than both arms. So they come in with thier girl friends and TRY to get them to purchase. Lady said they know it is a straw purchase and they deny the sale.In doing so. She said she has been cussed out, yelled at called everything in the book and been threatened with violence. She said it is just plain crazy.

Sounds like that store needs armed security.