Larry Vickers had a bunch of guns seized by the AFT.

[Boomhauer]

Let's ignore the guys smuggling guns to the Sinaloa cartel en masse, and let's raid the cancer patient who is absolutely not doing such things. Yeah that's pretty standard ATF procedure.

Vickers doesn’t put money in politician pockets

[Pb]

Let's ignore the guys smuggling guns to the Sinaloa cartel en masse, and let's raid the cancer patient who is absolutely not doing such things. Yeah that's pretty standard ATF procedure.

This.  He's a conservative pro-gun activist.

[WLJ]

Vickers doesn’t put money in the right politician pockets

FIFY

[WLJ]

Update
Looks like he's in deep do do

The defendants allegedly intended to impermissibly import into the United States and resell the machineguns and other firearms for profit or to keep for their own use and enjoyment.  Sullivan allegedly submitted the false law letters to the ATF seeking to import the machineguns and other restricted weapons.  Once the firearms were received, Sullivan allegedly kept some of the machineguns and other restricted weapons and transferred some of the weapons to Vickers, Tafoya, and other conspirators.

In addition to the indictment, Larry Vickers pleaded guilty yesterday to participating in the conspiracy to import and obtain machineguns and other restricted firearms and admitted that he received some of the imported machineguns and other weapons.  As detailed in his plea agreement, Vickers kept some of the machineguns and other restricted weapons in his personal collection and transferred other machineguns and restricted weapons to other FFLs and third parties.  Vickers also pleaded guilty to a conspiracy to violate U.S. sanctions against a foreign firearms manufacturer between July 2014 and March 2021, in the Southern District of Florida.

Vickers faces a maximum sentence of five years in federal prison for conspiracy to violate federal law regulating firearms and a maximum of 20 years in federal prison for conspiracy to violate the International Emergency Economic Powers Act.  U.S. District Judge Julie R. Rubin has not yet scheduled sentencing for Vickers.

North Carolina and North Dakota Police Chiefs and Federal Firearms Licensees Indicted for Conspiracy to Illegally Acquire Machineguns and Other Firearms
https://www.justice.gov/usao-md/pr/north-carolina-and-north-dakota-police-chiefs-and-federal-firearms-licensees-indicted

[Pb]

So he only broke unconstitutional laws.

[zxcvbob]

I don't think there is any "probably" involved. Federal law does not recognize state-issued marijuana cards. This point has been made on "gun" forums many, many times in response to questions about how holders of medical marijuana cards should respond to the question on the 4473. The answer is always "Don't." If you are using marijuana, you can't lawfully possess firearms under federal law.

Is it really "possess"?  Or is it "receive in interstate commerce"?  (fill out a 4473)  Serious question, although it's just academic for me because I've never even tried the stuff.  Also, are they using a state-issued medical MJ card as de facto proof that the holder is a user?  What if one has the card but has not yet purchased any MJ, and perhaps never will?  (but then why would you have the card)

ETA: the fact that they are NFA items might make a difference

[dogmush]

Is it really "possess"?  Or is it "receive in interstate commerce"?  (fill out a 4473)  Serious question, although it's just academic for me because I've never even tried the stuff.  Also, are they using a state-issued medical MJ card as de facto proof that the holder is a user?  What if one has the card but has not yet purchased any MJ, and perhaps never will?  (but then why would you have the card)

ETA: the fact that they are NFA items might make a difference

It is possess. 18 USC 922(g)(3).

Although.....that provision of the GCA has been found unconstitutional in Third (I think) circuit and the SCOTUS has been asked to weigh in.  I think the case is Range vs. Attorney General, but I might have that wrong, there's a lot of 2A cases to keep track these days.

[WLJ]

Guns & Gadgets has picked up the story
Nothing the above doesn't say except for his opinion that they're using him as an example

Indicted & Pleaded GUILTY: Larry Vickers Faces 25 Years in Federal Prison.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_1zrit4D57c

[Hawkmoon]

Nothing the above doesn't say except for his option that they're using him as an example

Which doesn't change the fact that he pleaded guilty, and apparently he WAS guilty.

It's difficult for me to understand how someone as prominent and as respected as Larry Vickers could possibly have been that stupid.

[JTHunter]

Okay, I'm a little late to this discussion but, who is Larry Vickers?  I haven't heard of him before.

[Hawkmoon]

Okay, I'm a little late to this discussion but, who is Larry Vickers?  I haven't heard of him before.

Google is your friend ...

[230RN]

Google is your friend ...

This might be a more helpful response:

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Larry_Vickers

[Pb]

Apparently Vickers also accused of illegally importing weapons from Russia, in violation of sanctions.

That was stupid, if true.

[dogmush]

Meh, I won't call him stupid on the details I know so far.  A whole bunch of "illegal" firearms come into the country every year and noone finds out and goes to jail.  Also the laws around importing firearms for a FFL are byzintine.  I doubt he was meeting a blacked out Scarab on a miami beach in the dark of night to smuggle in PPsH's.  For all we know he may have thought he was in the right with regulations and run afoul of one he didn't know about.  Or he had a conspericay with someone loudmouthed. Could go either way.

It's interesting to me that he's up for 5 years for the super evil scary machine guns that kill all the kids and 20 years for giving money to someone the fed.gov said was bad.  Kinda shows the gov's priorities.

[Northwoods]

Meh, I won't call him stupid on the details I know so far.  A whole bunch of "illegal" firearms come into the country every year and noone finds out and goes to jail.  Also the laws around importing firearms for a FFL are byzintine.  I doubt he was meeting a blacked out Scarab on a miami beach in the dark of night to smuggle in PPsH's.  For all we know he may have thought he was in the right with regulations and run afoul of one he didn't know about.  Or he had a conspericay with someone loudmouthed. Could go either way.

It's interesting to me that he's up for 5 years for the super evil scary machine guns that kill all the kids and 20 years for giving money to someone the fed.gov said was bad.  Kinda shows the gov's priorities.

They got Capone for tax evasion.  Most of the mobsters Giuliani put away in the 90’s went on RICO charges.  Not murder, drug running, extortion, etc.

[dogmush]

They got Capone for tax evasion.  Most of the mobsters Giuliani put away in the 90’s went on RICO charges.  Not murder, drug running, extortion, etc.

Not sure the relevance of that to Mr. Vickers.  Unless you are saying they were so successful at putting perceived bad guys away for BS process crimes that they purposefully made the sentences higher on those, which is why Vickers is facing 20 years for giving money to the wrong oligarch.

I'm also no longer as enamored with "The Untouchables" style of "We know this guy is a bad guy and we're going to get him no matter the tactics" as I once was.  See thread on Trump's prosecution for how that goes.  THe Cynic in me wants to ask if Chicago or New York actually got any safer for the average citizen after Capone and the Mobsters were put in jail.  Or did random gangs and street crime take over with the PD's unable to control it?

But that's probably it's own thread.

[Northwoods]

Not sure the relevance of that to Mr. Vickers.  Unless you are saying they were so successful at putting perceived bad guys away for BS process crimes that they purposefully made the sentences higher on those, which is why Vickers is facing 20 years for giving money to the wrong oligarch..

https://youtu.be/q5pESPQpXxE?si=kIOIlya2s5lXDeYY

[zxcvbob]

https://youtu.be/q5pESPQpXxE?si=kIOIlya2s5lXDeYY

What movie is that, Inglourius Basterds?    (I think it is)  And why'd Tarantino spell it like that?  I need to see if that one's on Netflix...

[Northwoods]

What movie is that, Inglourius Basterds?    (I think it is)  And why'd Tarantino spell it like that?  I need to see if that one's on Netflix...

Yep

[230RN]

Pardon me for repeating myself:

Accusations are cheap. Defense is expensive.

It's so obvious.

"Throwing the book" at someone is a very effective tactic.  You can probably nail them on one simple little thing or bankrupt them in legal costs.

Did Mr. Vickers get charged with Jaywalking yet?

This maybe sounds like another example of weaponizing the law.

[gunsmith]

yikes.
reminds me to stay under the radar as much as possible.

[MechAg94]

Pardon me for repeating myself:

Accusations are cheap. Defense is expensive.

It's so obvious.

"Throwing the book" at someone is a very effective tactic.  You can probably nail them on one simple little thing or bankrupt them in legal costs.

Did Mr. Vickers get charged with Jaywalking yet?

This maybe sounds like another example of weaponizing the law.

That is what I was hearing.  He was in a position where he had to bankrumpt himself with no guarnatee of a good outcome or plead guilty.  Not sure if he was able to get some assurance of the outcome of that.

[Ben]

Pardon me for repeating myself:

Accusations are cheap. Defense is expensive.

It's so obvious.

"Throwing the book" at someone is a very effective tactic.  You can probably nail them on one simple little thing or bankrupt them in legal costs.

Did Mr. Vickers get charged with Jaywalking yet?

This maybe sounds like another example of weaponizing the law.

Yep. When it's the government vs the individual, I simply don't take "guilty" pleas from the individual as an admission of guilt anymore. More than anything else, it's often a simple admission of not wanting their life left in ruins by the government machine. The guilty plea is Vickers cutting off his foot rather than both his legs from fighting the charges.

For more examples, refer to 06JAN.

[Northwoods]

Yep. When it's the government vs the individual, I simply don't take "guilty" pleas from the individual as an admission of guilt anymore. More than anything else, it's often a simple admission of not wanting their life left in ruins by the government machine. The guilty plea is Vickers cutting off his foot rather than both his legs from fighting the charges.

For more examples, refer to 06JAN.

The process IS the punishment.

[JTHunter]

This might be a more helpful response:

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Larry_Vickers

Thanks !