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Just got this from the ATF in email:

Greetings to all in this email. My name is Special Agent Christopher Benavides and I’m with the San Antonio Office of Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives (ATF).
I am currently involved in a criminal investigation with Department of Homeland Security/Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) regarding an individual you may have had telephonically, electronic, and/or personal communication with either late last year or earlier this year. You most likely had dealings with him through the website, http://www.texasguntrader.com" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;. You might know him as “Jesse” or “Jesus” or “Chuy”. He lives in the valley and had a (956) area code when calling him or he calling you.
We acquired your email address and some identifiers on who you are through legal law enforcement means, but would like to speak with you either over the phone or in person regarding this person of interest in our case.
I can assure you that everyone receiving this email is not any Federal or state trouble with the advertisement or selling of any firearms on this website to this individual. We are interested in knowing if actual sales had occurred with him and it could actually assist us further on our investigation.
I understand this is Memorial Day weekend and we will be by the pool and doing the BBQ thing, but when time permits this weekend or early next week could you please either email me back that you got this or call me next week so I can take a little bit of your time to pick your brain about this individual?
I thank you for your time and look forward to speaking with you.
My office number is (210) 805-2727 if you want to verify who I am. My cell number is (210) 825-4339. Thanks again and God Bless America.
Christopher Benavides
ATF Special Agent
San Antonio Field Office
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
******* NOTICE: This electronic transmission is confidential and intended only for the person(s) to whom it is addressed. If you have received this transmission in error, please notify the sender by return e-mail and destroy this message in its entirety (including all attachments).

I googled the numbers and they are indeed ATF. I called him and he said they had arrested the guy and wanted to know if anyone had sold him their guns. He said he was a legal resident but was making straw purchases with gun money. I told the agent I hadnt sold him anything because the guy was very cagey on the phone so I declined the sale. He thanked me and hung up. Anybody else ever run into this?

It's never happened to me, but you tell an interesting story. What was your sense of what Benavides' next step would have been if you had indeed actually sold a weapon to the subject of their investigation?

Lawyer up now.

nitrogen wrote:Lawyer up now.

I don't see any harm in resonding if you didn't buy or sell anything to the person of interest.

boomerang wrote:

nitrogen wrote:Lawyer up now.

I don't see any harm in resonding if you didn't buy or sell anything to the person of interest.

You're assuming that the ATF is playing by the rules. We all know they don't.

Personally we (and we just discussed this) would be happy as American pie to help catch any straw purchasers that might pop up. These really are the bad guys, folks. They're going to ruin it for all of us.

I agree with returning the call or email. If all you did was listen to a phone conversation and decline a transaction you have in no way shape or form broken any law or rule. You were simply a conscious responsible gun owner in my eyes. So even if they do not play by the rules I don't know what they might do to you for doing NOTHING. I think there is nothing to worry about and let them do their job, if you choose to help them then so be it.

I just have to question why the ATF would send an e-mail. idk, I just don't like emails lol.

The Annoyed Man wrote:It's never happened to me, but you tell an interesting story. What was your sense of what Benavides' next step would have been if you had indeed actually sold a weapon to the subject of their investigation?

Probably written statements and serial numbers. He seemed very nice.

TexasComputerDude wrote:I just have to question why the ATF would send an e-mail. idk, I just don't like emails lol.

That likely was the only identifiable contact information available from texasguntrader.com.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=i8z7NC5sgik

Seriously, watch that, think about the stories we have heard about the ATF and soft primers and what they are willing to do to get a conviction. Then think about all the fireams codes. I have the books they put out which may not cover all of them and they are about two inches thick! I don't see how talking to an ATF agent is any different than talking to the IRS like he explains in the video. Sure you don't think you did anything wrong, certainly nothing immoral or intentionally wrong, but are you willing to bet your life that you violated nothing at all in those thousands of pages of code? Because that's what you are doing. IANAL but I think you need one before talking to the ATF about any criminal investigation or really anything for that matter.

I understand this is Memorial Day weekend and we will be by the pool and doing the BBQ thing, but when time permits this weekend or early next week could you please either email me back that you got this or call me next week so I can take a little bit of your time to pick your brain about this individual?
I thank you for your time and look forward to speaking with you.

******* NOTICE: This electronic transmission is confidential and intended only for the person(s) to whom it is addressed. If you have received this transmission in error, please notify the sender by return e-mail and destroy this message in its entirety (including all attachments).

To me this just smells of some bad investigative technique...

If they knew who you are, and have the gumption of contacting you in this manner, instead of paying you a visit, or at the very least establish contact thru a phone call...

They should have expected to get these types of responses anyway..."I didn't sell him anything..."

This is a fishing expedition...And even if you did sell them something, that is not illegal...

They are building up some cases where someone will admit to selling this "Chuy" something...That way they can quantify cases where guns are going to "someplace" foreign, from "somewhere" domestically...Plain and simple...

They also want to establish evidence to support the banning of face to face sales, without first going theu an FFL or conducting an NCIC check or something...

This is just my opinion...

txmatt wrote:http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=i8z7NC5sgik

Seriously, watch that, think about the stories we have heard about the ATF and soft primers and what they are willing to do to get a conviction. Then think about all the fireams codes. I have the books they put out which may not cover all of them and they are about two inches thick! I don't see how talking to an ATF agent is any different than talking to the IRS like he explains in the video. Sure you don't think you did anything wrong, certainly nothing immoral or intentionally wrong, but are you willing to bet your life that you violated nothing at all in those thousands of pages of code? Because that's what you are doing. IANAL but I think you need one before talking to the ATF about any criminal investigation or really anything for that matter.

100%!!!

kirock7 wrote:Personally we (and we just discussed this) would be happy as American pie to help catch any straw purchasers that might pop up. These really are the bad guys, folks. They're going to ruin it for all of us.

The really bad guys might be the ATF. Just talking to them could get one tossed into prison. The Drug Runners aren't half as dangerous as these guys are. The real solution to the problem they claim they are addressing is to arm the citizens of Mexico and to disband the BATFE. They are publicans who wish to disarm us and perform no useful purpose.

We must recognize the enemy, and its critical we don't offer support.