FBI agents recently warned community leaders in the Detroit area about a possible racist plot by a convicted felon and alleged neo-Nazi sympathizer who was arrested after he was discovered with an arsenal of assault rifles and other weapons, a law enforcement official tells NBC News.
“The FBI averted a catastrophe in this case, there’s no doubt about it,” Steven M. Dettelbach, the U.S. attorney in Cleveland, said in an interview.
New details about the case of Richard Schmidt, the owner of a sporting goods store in Bowling Green, Ohio, dramatically highlight what law enforcement officials say are major loopholes in the nation’s gun laws. Schmidt, 47, is a convicted felon who spent 13 years in Ohio state prison for a homicide after being convicted of killing a man and wounding two others in a shooting during a traffic stop, according to state prison records. Under federal law, Schmidt, who was released on parole in 2003, is barred from possessing any firearms.
Yet when FBI agents last December searched his home and store, they discovered a cache of 18 weapons that included AR-15 assault rifles, 9 mm Ruger and Sig Sauer pistols, shotguns, high-capacity magazines and more than 40,000 rounds of ammunition. Schmidt was originally reported to have been arrested on charges of trafficking in counterfeit goods, but was indicted last month on four federal charges —including possessing illegal weapons, body armor and ammunition…
Dettelbach, who is overseeing the case, said that federal agents have been unable to determine how and where Schmidt obtained his weapons, prompting officials to conclude he likely acquired them at gun shows or through private sales — where under federal law no background checks are required.
“It’s scary,” he said about Schmidt’s arsenal of weapons. “It’s not … that I won’t say” where Schmidt got his guns. “It’s that sitting here today as a senior federal law enforcement official in northern Ohio, I can’t say…”
Two community leaders briefed on the case tell NBC News that agents also found a notebook in which Schmidt had listed the names, addresses and other personal information of Detroit area community leaders. Although Schmidt was already in custody, and remains in jail pending trial, the evidence in the notebook prompted agents to warn the leaders about what they had found.
As long as the NRA keeps those campaign checks rolling in, I doubt if we’ll see anyone noticing sales of firearms to convicted felons any time soon.
It is easier to track sales of automobiles than guns.
Nevertheless, vehicles are stolen and sold on the black market every day.
Whatever is prohibited by law in the free market will find its way into the black market.
You might note a huge difference between autos and guns since driving a car or any motorized vehicle is a PRIVILEGE whereas having a gun is a RIGHT! Ask an LEO or DMV representative in America if there are any “rights” to drive!
Of course, that’s mostly the NRA’s take on it. And I just hate that it also tends to agree with nutball Neo Nazi jerks like this guy too. Nevertheless, there’s still a little thing we all need to consider called The Constitution! Because the lesson these days seems to be that when we loose any “right” that it’s gone forever. Just look at what’s happening to our fourth amendment rights (right to privacy) and maybe you can see a pattern here.
So could we maybe read that whole second amendment again where it refers to the right of the people to keep and bear arms and answer just exactly what a militia is? Because a more liberal idiot might actually think it refers to cutting off actual arms! (You know? Those appendages that most people’s hands are at the end of?) Or rights to wear sleeveless shirts!
And if you don’t think legal gun owners “rights” aren’t already being assaulted then just try to holster a black toy water pistol (something that looks real) and walk into any police station – or even down a crowded street like New York’s Manhattan area of 42nd and Broadway. Now try doing it with a real (and hopefully legal) deer rifle!
Keep stacking up the laws and soon we’ll all be guilty of something..
Has all the markings of a non liberal. Seems like an angry white guy that likes guns. Hmmm
Funny how you ALWAYS put your foot in your mouth. Aren’t you starting to get athletes TONGUE yet?
First, there’s nothing wrong with liking guns. It may not be something YOU (or even I might) understand but there’s nothing wrong with it either. Some people might even like violent video games too! Of course, I’m sure you’d like to argue those facts since your bigotry seems to have you convinced that you’re always correct when in fact your actually about as correct as those Nazi’s are.
Second, as abhorrent as the Nazi party was, it’s incredibly important to remember that it was born of RADICAL PROGRESSIVE LIBERAL’S! And like any good liberal party, it will associate itself with whatever OTHER party is in power especially if that other party tends to lean towards anarchy.
What a more intelligent person might ask, assuming he/she can even see the real problem(s), might be why. Obviously, that’s not you! So STFU!!!
Actually you’re all wrong on the right vs left , conservative vs liberal and labor vs capitalist thing all wrong when talking referring to outside the US.
These terms have completely different meanings on the opposite sides of the Atlantic Ocean, dufus.
You’re basically worse than s moron because a moron doesn’t pretend to know a subject they know nothing about.
Under federal law, Schmidt, who was released on parole in 2003, is barred from possessing any firearms.
That federal law seems to have no effect on people who do not intend to abide by the law.
That 13-year stint in prison appears to have no rehabilitative or correctional effect on Schmidt.
What should society do with antisocial misfits that disregard the rights of everyone else?
You just know that “Dumb-ass” or possibly that other trolling weirdo will reply in response to your “what should we do” question with something stupid like, give ’em guns and let ’em go.”
– And now that the great Karnack has spoken…
“That federal law (barring firearm possession by felons) seems to have no effect on people who do not intend to abide by the law.”
True enough, but don’t forget the real value of that law, just because it is often not a deterrent. Ordinarily, someone can’t be arrested until they have actually used a firearm in the commission of a crime. But because of this law, mere possession of the weapon becomes the crime. Even if the law does not deter the felon, it makes him subject to arrest even before he kills or threatens someone, thwarting whatever plans they might have in a way that a non-felon’s equally nefarious plans cannot be thwarted.
I’m a little surprised we haven’t seen more attacks on this law as being an unconstitutional violation of the 2nd Amendment. I guess maybe the NRA knows this isn’t a fight they could win, and felons don’t have any other lobbying organization to turn to 🙂
But this law would also prevent straight, reformed felons from keeping firearms for legit purposes. No one has the right to assume a felon will use a gun inappropriately thus bar him from gun ownership. This same reasoning makes possible sobriety checks that bother sober drivers.
It seems that the great irony of this story is that the man was a convicted felon and still had an arsenal. Yet it will still be used as propaganda to promote the idea of gun-control laws as a remedy to this situation. Labeling the man as a racist and white is just furthering the stereotypes. Saying that the second amendment is a right to bear arms that cannot be taken away is just retarded. People have their rights taken away all the time as this man did when he was convicted of a felony and spent 13 years in prison.
People may lose their rights under due process of law.
The Fourteenth Amendment:
1. All persons born or naturalized in the United States, and subject to the jurisdiction thereof, are citizens of the United States and of the State wherein they reside. No State shall make or enforce any law which shall abridge the privileges or immunities of citizens of the United States; nor shall any State deprive any person of life, liberty, or property, without due process of law; nor deny to any person within its jurisdiction the equal protection of the laws.
Looks like an evil mongoloid.
Prison for this guy meant associating with Skinheads and other Neo-Nazi groups. Why would you ever think it was for rehabilitation?
Only 40,000 rounds of ammo? I call that a good start and he really didn’t have that many guns either. He hardly had a cache of weapons.
Still pushing gun control?
Better post would be to highlight how Pres Obama is using spambots to send fake twitter messages to try and push gun control.