Gun Shop Owner Arrested

[7.62 NATO]

The attorney for a Mobile gun shop owner charged with illegally selling firearms is speaking out on the arrest of his client.
Police and federal agents arrested Larry McCoy after raiding his store Thursday. McCoy is charged with selling a gun to a convicted felon and falsifying records.
Larry McCoy is the owner of Larry's Gun Shop.
Officials with the U.S Department of Justice and the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives said on April 11, McCoy sold a semi-automatic shotgun to a convicted felon who was working as a government informant.
Mobile Police Chief Phillip Garrett said, "I take it as a very serious set of offenses. I take the whole situation as very serious."
A federal grand jury indicted McCoy on nine felony and misdemeanor counts.
The indictment said McCoy also falsified records, selling guns to people while listing the name of someone else as the buyer.
Chief Garrett said, "What brought this investigation, or initiated the investigation, was complaints from people, the public, that their children had come home with assault-type weapons, that were under the age of 18, that had brought the weapons home and said they got it from this gun shop."
Clara Carley said she's McCoy's sister-in-law.
Carley said McCoy "keeps meticulous records. This is a bunch of baloney."
Bob Clark is McCoy's attorney.
Clark said, "I know the government works slow, but this is kind of ridiculous, isn't it? I mean, he's been selling guns since 2007 and they haven't done anything and now they're suddenly, he's some kind of a menace or whatever?"
Carley added, "He dots his 'I's' and crosses his 'T's, so this is hogwash."
McCoy pleaded not guilty to the charges.
Chief Garrett said if he's found guilty on the felony counts alone, McCoy could face up to 30 years in prison.


Mobile Gun Shop Owner Arrested - Alabama Mobile Guns Tobacco - WKRG.com

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[Homer03]

Well--Except for the fact that he was true billed by the GJ we dont know much about the validity of the charges. But is seems apparent that the poor guy has a nit wit for an attorney.

[0311Shooter]

I have two ways to look at this.

If indeed this guy was dumb enough to do this, he should spend 30 years with bubba. If he was railroaded somehow, there should be a way to clear him.

Personally I think most gun dealers err on the side of being too cautious. I have been at Gun Shows and see someone who doesn't look real smart trying to buy a gun. The dealer will politely "run the guy off".

Most dealers are smart, they know where their futures lie. It ain't doing something dishonest.

[John Kepler]

Ancient history. I once knew a gun-shop owner. I bought stuff off of him because he gave me damn-good deals on some stuff I collected (and thereby generating "legitimate" cover for his other, more lucrative, less "legitimate" transactions....I was a lot younger and dumber back then!). Having said that....the guy was dirty as hell! First (and last!) time in my entire life that I saw a gun being sold that I KNEW was going to go out and shoot somebody (Biker in a walking-cast because of the .32 slug in his leg buying a "minimum-legal" cut-down shotgun that was one of the shop-owner's "specialty items" for a little self-declared "pay-back"...the shot-gun I saw being purchased was immediately "stolen" with the appropriate paperwork filed with the authorities and found next to a blood-pool in Cleveland three weeks later!). Guns the guy was selling to equally unsavory characters had a distressing habit of being found next to bodies in New York City, and he was definitely on the ATF's radar.

Then he got busted. The bust was de-facto entrapment, complete petty technical chicken-guano.....and nothing more or less than justice! He was guilty as sin even though he was arrested and convicted on what was basically a trumped-up charge....two wrongs ending up making a right! So ya just never know!

[dryheat]

Everyone knew who "Alan" was. He was at every gun show and the guy was hyper. He literally ran from person to person buying pistols. He never had a table he just trolled the line at the entrance for folks bringing guns to sell to dealers(yoou know the guys). When he finially tried to sell one of the dealers one of his own stolen guns he finially got on someones list. Read about him in the newspaper a few weeks later and no one was too surprised..

[John Sukey (Deceased)]

Well let's not tar Mr McCoy with the same brush. Mayor Bloombast*rds's "undercover agents". were good at what they did, and unless a dealer can consult his "crystal ball" after making the usual NICS checks, it's difficult to catch ALL of the perps.

Note; a CONVICTED FELON working as a GOVERNMENT INFORMANT!

[John Kepler]

Well let's not tar Mr McCoy with the same brush. Mayor Bloombast*rds's "undercover agents". were good at what they did, and unless a dealer can consult his "crystal ball" after making the usual NICS checks, it's difficult to catch ALL of the perps.

Note; a CONVICTED FELON working as a GOVERNMENT INFORMANT!

Then riddle me this Batman.....just how DOES a convicted felon legally get approved to buy a firearm WITHOUT some sort of illegal collusion on the part of the transacting dealer? Inquiring minds want to know!

As for the rest.....remember John, Jesus had a conspiracy limited to just 12 men hand-picked by God...and one of them was a government-paid informant!

[John Sukey (Deceased)]

Then riddle me this Batman.....just how DOES a convicted felon legally get approved to buy a firearm WITHOUT some sort of illegal collusion on the part of the transacting dealer? Inquiring minds want to know!

As for the rest.....remember John, Jesus had a conspiracy limited to just 12 men hand-picked by God...and one of them was a government-paid informant!

the convicted felon LIES on the government form. and uses a fake I.D. That answer your question Robin?

Given some of their past screw-ups, I trust the ATF about as far as I can throw their headquarters. You do NOT know the particulars of the case and yet you have already convicted the dealer. Thats up to the courts.

I am reminded ot the ATF's idea that private sales at gun shows are supplying criminals with ALL of their guns.

[John Kepler]

the convicted felon LIES on the government form. and uses a fake I.D. That answer your question Robin?

Given some of their past screw-ups, I trust the ATF about as far as I can throw their headquarters. You do NOT know the particulars of the case and yet you have already convicted the dealer. Thats up to the courts.

I am reminded ot the ATF's idea that private sales at gun shows are supplying criminals with ALL of their guns.

That's one way....though it's a bit tough to do with NICS....it also then becomes something that no Grand Jury, and without putting too fine a point on it, particularly one in Alabama, is going to "True Bill"! Q.E.D.

As for the rest....I hear ya John; know and largely agree with what you're saying....but sometimes they DO get it right, and a cigar is just a cigar!

[Tired Retired]

I think its safe to say that all of us strongly support 2nd amendment rights while we want to rid our ranks of those "gun people" who do illegal acts and things that are just plain stupid or wrong. We all have met them - we move three lanes over when they show up at the range or we don't go near their gun shops. None of us on this forum know the details and the real evidence in this case, just what is in the news. I grew up in Mobile and I used to be a Mobile Police Officer many years ago. But I will tell you that gun ownership rights are respected and strongly supported by all law enforcement in the Mobile area. Its a good area for owning guns. When I lived in the area, it was one of the easiest areas in the country to get a concealed handgun carry permit (local sheriff must issue). I will not jump on the arrest of just one (of several hundred gun dealers) in the area with the claim that he was set up.

I will back my brother gun owners, but I will not back the dirt bag that endangers us all. My opinion is that as a group we should do alot more self-policing so that the government is not tempted to... (Flame me if you want.....)

I'm curious as to how this case plays out and what evidence is provided in court. Thats why we still have public trials by a jury of peers in this country. Down there, you would have a hard time finding a jury made up of non-gun owners.