ATF Archives - Tennessee Star

National Integrated Ballistic Information Network Aids ATF-led Operation United Front in Multiple Convictions

June 12, 2022June 11, 2022 Addison Basurto

The U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Middle District of Georgia announced on Thursday that The National Integrated Ballistic Information Network (NIBIN) has aided the undercover law enforcement effort, dubbed “Operation United Front,” in the indictment of a third person that was involved in narcotics distribution and the illegal possession of weapons.

“Addressing violent crime in Middle Georgia means utilizing every asset at our disposal, including high-level ballistics technology like ATF’s NIBIN,” said U.S. Attorney Peter D. Leary.

Ashburn Man Sentenced to Nine Years for Weapons Trafficking

June 11, 2022June 10, 2022 Addison Basurto

U.S. District Judge Leslie Gardner sentenced Demetri Lott, 44, of Ashburn, Georgia, to 9 years in prison after he pleaded guilty to two counts of the theft of a firearm from a licensed dealer on June 1.

“Our office is committed to prioritizing prosecutions of those responsible for the greatest gun violence in our communities, including those who illegally traffic in firearms,” said U.S. Attorney Peter D. Leary.

Failed Ohio AG Candidate Nominated to Head ATF

April 12, 2022April 11, 2022 Peter D'Abrosca

A failed candidate for Ohio Attorney General and former U.S. Attorney for the Northern District of Ohio Monday was tapped by President Joe Biden to head the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives (ATF).

“Today, to lead and support the dedicated men and women of the ATF, I’m proud to nominate Steve Dettelbach,” Biden said during a Rose Garden speech, apologizing for mispronouncing his pick’s last name. “Steve is immensely qualified. He served the Department of Justice for two decades. He worked side by side to support the work of federal, state and local law enforcement, including ATF agents. One of the cases he personally tried as a U.S. Attorney were the serial arsonists who firebombed the courthouses and police headquarters in Mansfield, Ohio.”

Tennessee Libertarian Party Scorches ATF for Valentine’s Day Tweet

February 15, 2022February 14, 2022 Peter D'Abrosca

After a tweet from the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives (ATF) caused a Monday internet uproar, the Libertarian Party of Tennessee did not pull punches in its response.

The ATF encouraged jilted ex-lovers to report criminal activity of their former partners as a form of revenge on Valentine’s Day.

Knoxville Fire Department Says Fire that Destroyed Planned Parenthood Was Set Intentionally

January 8, 2022January 7, 2022 Peter D'Abrosca

Burned down building with Planned Parenthood sign in front

The cause of a New Years Eve fire that burned down a Knoxville Planned Parenthood was arson, according to the Knoxville Fire Department (KFD) and federal investigators.

Knoxville Fire Department investigators, along with assistance from the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms, and Explosives (ATF), have conducted a thorough scene investigation of the December 31st 710 N. Cherry Street – Planned Parenthood fire and determined the fire to have been purposely set by an individual or individuals who, at this time, remain unidentified,” KFD announced Thursday on its Facebook page.

Giffords Policy Advisor, Former Nominee to Lead ATF, Blasts Biden Administration

September 30, 2021September 29, 2021 Peter D'Abrosca

The Senior Policy Advisor to Giffords, a group founded to push gun control after former Arizona Congresswoman Gabrielle Giffords was shot during a campaign rally, has turned on the Biden Administration after being dropped from consideration to head the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives (ATF).

David Chipman, an ardent gun control supporter who advocated for Congress to ban Americans from purchasing so-called “assault weapons” like the AR-15, was once nominated to head the ATF. He worked for the federal law enforcement agency for 25 years the nomination, and before joining Giffords.

Biden Withdraws Controversial Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives Nominee After Bipartisan Concern

September 11, 2021September 10, 2021 The Center Square

President Joe Biden on Thursday announced the withdrawal of his controversial nominee, David Chipman, to lead the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives (ATF).

Several leading Republicans were outspoken opponents of Chipman for his past anti-gun comments and more aggressive gun control policies as well as connections to gun control groups. No new nominee has been announced.

“David Chipman is an erratic, anti-gun radical who planned to outlaw nearly every single sporting rifle in America,” said Sen. Tom Cotton, R-Ark. “He is wholly unfit to run the ATF, and I’m glad to see President Biden has withdrawn his nomination.”President Joe Biden on Thursday announced the withdrawal of his controversial nominee, David Chipman, to lead the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives (ATF).

White House to Withdraw Nomination of David Chipman to Head up ATF

September 9, 2021September 9, 2021 Admin

The White House will withdraw its nomination of David Chipman to head up the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco and Firearms.

The nominee, a former special agent at ATF and current gun control lobbyist, was scrutinized immediately upon his nomination for his publicly anti-firearm positions. Moderate Democrat Senators in the evenly-split chamber signaled to the Biden administration that they were not fans of the choice and it was unclear whether Chipman would have made it through a confirmation vote.

43 Members of Tennessee General Assembly Request the Governor and Attorney General to Oppose New ATF Rules

September 8, 2021September 7, 2021 Laura Baigert

The letters, spearheaded by Second Amendment advocate and Chair of the House Criminal Justice Committee Representative Clay Doggett (R-Pulaski), state that the ATF rule changes would “violate state and federal Second Amendment rights and arbitrarily transform thousands of law-abiding Tennesseans into felons.”

Prosecutors Say Atlanta Man Who Illegally Obtained Firearms Fueled City’s Crime Problem

July 3, 2021July 2, 2021 Chris Butler

Federal officials in Atlanta have sentenced a man to prison for unlawfully acquiring dozens of firearms, several of which Atlanta Police officers later recovered at various crime scenes. That man, Ben’Andre Javon Goolsby “helped fuel the violence in our community,” said Acting U.S. Attorney Kurt R. Erskine in a press release for the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Northern District of Georgia.

Arizona Sen. Kelly Pressured to Recuse from Chipman Confirmation Vote

June 24, 2021June 23, 2021 Peter D'Abrosca

Sen. Mark Kelly (D-AZ) is facing calls to recuse himself from the confirmation process David Chipman, the controversial nominee to head the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives (ATF).

According to Breitbart, a proclamation was issued against Kelly in the Arizona House of Representatives over a conflict of interest. It was first introduced by Rep. Quang Nguyen (R-District 1).

Biden’s Nominee to Lead ATF Pushed Dubious Claim About Waco Siege to Call for Blanket Ban on Assault Rifles

April 11, 2021April 10, 2021 Admin

The gun control activist who President Joe Biden is expected to nominate to lead the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives (ATF) claimed last year that members of the Branch Davidian sect shot down two helicopters during a standoff with federal agents in Waco in 1993.

David Chipman, the expected nominee, posted the comments as part of a Reddit “Ask Me Anything” event. He also called for tighter gun control measures, including restricting gun sales only to licensed gun stores and a ban on the manufacture and sale of so-called assault rifles.

Biden is expected to announce Chipman’s nomination on Thursday during an event where he will lay out a series of executive actions aimed at reducing gun violence.

Man Arrested After Homemade Bomb Detonated in Michigan High School

March 11, 2021March 10, 2021 Peter D'Abrosca

A man has been arrested after a student detonated a homemade explosive Newaygo High School Monday.

“33-year-old David Robert Daniel Saylor was charged Tuesday with one count of manufacture or possession of Molotov Cocktail and one count of contributing to the delinquency of a minor,” WZZM reported. “Saylor is also charged as a habitual offender.”

Virginia AG Herring to Court: Ban ‘Ghost Guns’

December 28, 2020December 27, 2020 Eric Burk

Attorney General Mark Herring has joined 19 other attorneys general asking the U.S. District Court for the Southern District of New York to force regulation of so-called “ghost guns” – partially assembled firearms kits that can be completed by consumers without the serial numbers law enforcement uses to track the weapons. Herring and the other attorneys general signed an amicus brief as third parties to Syracuse v. ATF, a lawsuit that says the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, and Firearms (ATF) was too lenient in its 2015 interpretation of the Gun Control Act (GCA) of 1968.

ATF Withdraws Proposed Gun Regulation Manufacturers Say Would Cost Industry $2 Billion After Pressure from Lawmakers

December 26, 2020December 25, 2020 Admin

The Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives, under pressure from dozens of congressmen, withdrew guidance on a proposed regulation that gun industry leaders warned would cost them billions.

The ATF’s decision to pull its regulation regarding pistol braces follows a cooperative effort from 90 House of Representatives members who demanded the regulatory agency cease its “alarming” determination that “could turn law-abiding gun owners into criminals overnight.”

Feds Expand Crime Fighting Operation to Memphis

August 10, 2020August 9, 2020 Chris Butler

Federal officials late last week announced an initiative, Operation Legend, to fight violent crime in Memphis and St. Louis.

“The most basic responsibility of government is to protect the safety of our citizens. Today, we have extended Operation Legend to Memphis and St. Louis, two cities experiencing increases in violent crime that no resident of those cities should have to accept as part of everyday life,” Attorney General William P. Barr said in a statement.

St. Paul Man Charged with Arson in Third Precinct Fire

June 11, 2020June 10, 2020 Anthony Gockowski

Federal authorities charged a St. Paul man this week with aiding and abetting arson for his involvement in the destruction of the Minneapolis Police Department’s Third Precinct.

The Third Precinct was one of the hundreds of buildings destroyed by rioters in the wake of George Floyd’s alleged murder by police officers on Memorial Day. Minneapolis Mayor Jacob Frey has faced substantial criticism for his decision to give up the Third Precinct on the night of May 28.

Trump’s ATF Pick Chuck Canterbury: ‘I Take a Back Seat to No One in My Reverence for the 2nd Amendment’

May 28, 2019May 27, 2019 Admin

by Whitney Tipton President Donald Trump announced Friday plans to nominate Fraternal Order of Police President Chuck Canterbury to head the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives. Canterbury has been Fraternity Order of Police (FOP) president for 16 years, having previously spent 26 years in the Horry County, South…

1,000 Guns Seized From Los Angeles Mansion

May 10, 2019May 9, 2019 Admin

More than 1,000 rifles and handguns and thousands of rounds of ammunition were seized Wednesday at a mansion in a posh area not far from the Playboy Mansion. Acting on a tip regarding illegal firearms sales, police and federal agents served a search warrant around 4 a.m. at the…