ATF under investigation for raiding gun seller’s home, report says

[Elderberry]

American Military News by Timothy Frudd   October 09, 2023

The Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives (ATF) is currently under investigation for allegedly raiding an Oklahoma gun seller’s home without notifying Oklahoma’s Pushmataha County Sheriff’s Office.

According to The Gun Writer, the ATF notified Oklahoma resident Russell Fincher, age 52, in April that the organization wanted to conduct an inspection of his home. Fincher, who has had a Federal Firearm License for roughly three years, sells guns at various gun shows. In addition to selling guns, Fincher works as a Baptist pastor and a high school history teacher.

After conducting two different inspections of Fincher’s home, the ATF reportedly contacted him again on June 16 before seven vehicles and a dozen ATF agents with AR-15s and tactical gear approached his home.

“It was like the Trump raid. They called me out onto my deck and handcuffed me. My son was there and saw the whole thing. He’s 13 years old,” Fincher said. “They held me on the porch for about an hour. I was surrounded by agents. One by one, they yelled at me about what I was doing.”

Fincher reportedly was forced by the ATF to sign over his Federal Firearm License, after which the ATF seized many of his most expensive guns located at his home.

More: https://americanmilitarynews.com/2023/10/atf-under-investigation-for-raiding-gun-sellers-home-report-says/

[Sighlass]

I would like to know more, was this seller just sloppy with their paperwork... ? I mean why just give up and say take my FFL license... I want to be 100% for the teacher/preacher, but both sides aren't being told here.

[Elderberry]

ATF SWAT team raids parttime gun dealer’s Oklahoma home

ATF won't comment on its massive show of force.

The Gun Writer by Lee Williams Jul 14, 2023

Russell Fincher is a high school history teacher, a Baptist pastor and a parttime gun dealer. He also coaches Little League in his hometown of Tuskahoma, Oklahoma, which has a population of around 151 souls.

Fincher, 52, has had a Federal Firearm License for three years. He has no brick-and-mortar gun shop. He’s what used to be called a “kitchen table FFL.” He sells most of his firearms at gun shows, including Wanenmacher's Arms Show in Tulsa.

“Living in Southeast Oklahoma, if you don’t have a gun under $400, people ain’t buying it,” he said Thursday. “Rarely do people come to my house to buy a gun.”

In April, Fincher received a call from the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco Firearms and Explosives. They wanted to do an inspection at his home.

“I told them they were welcome anytime,” Fincher said.

Two ATF inspectors arrived a few days later. They spent three hours in his home. They took pictures of his 4473s with their cell phones, which Fincher has since learned is an illegal although common practice.

“Honestly, they were way nicer than I expected,” he said. “They said I had some guns that had traces on them, which concerned them. It concerned me too.”

The inspectors returned two weeks later. They had some “concerns” involving Fincher’s penmanship, which they couldn’t read on a couple forms. They also found he had juxtaposed the model number of a firearm with the weapon’s serial number, which Fincher was attempting to rectify.

On June 16, Fincher and his son were packing for a gun show in Tulsa when the phone rang. It was the ATF. They said they wanted to talk to him before he left for the gun show.

More: https://thegunwriter.substack.com/p/atf-swat-team-raids-parttime-gun

[Smokin Joe]

Lest we forget, the Branch Davidians also held an FFL, and also had a subgroup who bought and sold guns at gun shows. At least they didn't go completely Waco on him, but this is just wrong.

[Elderberry]

Oklahoma Lawmaker Wants Grand Jury Investigation of ATF Raid

Liberty Park Press By Lee Williams 10/27/2023

SAF Investigative Journalism Project

If Oklahoma State Representative Justin “JJ” Humphrey gets his way, the ATF agents who raided his constituent’s home last June will all be arrested and charged with multiple state crimes as well as civil rights violations.

Humphrey, who has served as a law enforcement officer for more than 30 years, prepared a probable cause affidavit that he presented to the Oklahoma Attorney General, which outlines the crimes and civil rights violations he believes ATF agents committed when they sent a 12-man SWAT team to the Tuskahoma, Oklahoma home of Russell Fincher, a federal firearm licensee who also teaches high school and serves as a Baptist pastor.

“The Oklahoma Attorney General referred it to the U.S. Attorney General, but we want to get it to a state grand jury,” Humphrey said. “We don’t want the feds investigating the feds. Let’s get it before an Oklahoma grand jury.”

ATF Agents disabled Fincher’s security cameras and then seized more than 50 of his firearms, which were valued at more than $60,000. They later offered to pay him $10 per gun. To date, Fincher has not been charged with any crime.

“I struggle with seeking charges against fellow police officers. However, it appears ATF is abusing their police powers and violating their oaths of office. I believe the ATF has committed crimes and violated Fincher’s civil rights and due process of law,” Humphrey wrote in the probable cause affidavit, which he also submitted to Pushmataha County Sheriff B.J. Hedgecock.

When he first began looking into the raid, Humphrey asked ATF for a copy of the search warrant. “They refused,” he said. “I’ve been an officer for 30-plus years. They were supposed to leave a copy of the search warrant at Russell’s home. It spells out their probable cause.”

According to his affidavit, Humphrey believes the ATF agents violated the following state statutes:

•   21-1483. Extortion or attempted extortion.

•   21-1485. Obtaining signature by extortion.

•   21-1484. Extortion under color of official right.

•   21-1268. Making Terroristic Threats.

•   21-1993.Tampering with or disabling security or surveillance camera or security systems.

He also believes the agents violated Fincher’s civil rights, specifically the Second, Fourth, Fifth and Tenth Amendments.

More: https://www.libertyparkpress.com/oklahoma-lawmaker-wants-grand-jury-investigation-of-atf-raid/

[Smokin Joe]

Get some!

This sort of stuff cannot be allowed to continue.

If you are an FFL, keep copies of your records, even photo images, against the day the ATF comes calling, in a secure location they will not search.