North Port Florida Firearm Thief's We're going to find you!

North Carolina Background Checks Return Sensitive Medical Records Story By: Darwin Nercesian Gregg Kielma FFL-Firearms- Instructor First Aid Fundamentals Instructor-Gunsmith- AED Defibrillator Sales A Mecklenburg County Sheriff’s Office (MCSO) employee revealed to attorneys in a 2024 deposition that the agency occasionally receives sensitive and unrequested medical data during concealed carry permit background checks, including abortion and sexually transmitted disease records, according to WCNC. In response to the revelation, one state lawmaker is planning to introduce legislation limiting the type of information provided in these reports. Republican Representative Keith Kidwell from District 90 in eastern North Carolina is showing his concern for the privacy of constituents whose inalienable rights are arguably already under undue scrutiny given the plain text of the Second Amendment. Although North Carolina residents sign an Administrative Office of the Courts form consenting to a sheriff’s office review of their history to ensure applicants are capable of safely handling a firearm when applying for a carry permit, certain medical information is considered far too invasive and irrelevant to forming the necessary determination. ” We’ve got to do everything we can to control that… What I’m going to do is get with the drafting folks and we’re going to look at legislation and see how we curtail this so that only the information that’s necessary for law enforcement to make decisions on concealed carry is the only thing that they’re provided with,” said Kidwell. Discovery of the privacy violation occurred when attorney Ron Shook was deposing witnesses in a 2024 lawsuit alleging the MCSO failed to issue concealed carry permits in a timely matter. A sheriff’s office employee detailed the wide range of information handed over by health providers during the background check process, many of which contain data not requested by the agency, such as whether a woman’s cesarean section records, their number of pregnancies, and more. “They’re also releasing information such as, ‘Has a person had an abortion? Do they have any sexually transmitted diseases? Really invasive personal information that the sheriff doesn’t need to make a decision about whether or not they should be able to carry a firearm. It’s entirely too much. It’s invasive,” Shook said. A sheriff’s office spokesperson pointed out, however, that the agency does not control what information is turned over, noting that records are issued at the health provider’s discretion. “Sometimes hundreds of pages are sent, but these may contain no evidence suggesting the applicant is unfit to safely handle a handgun, and the (Concealed Handgun Permit) is granted… Other times, only a few pages are sent, yet they reveal significant concerns, such as evidence of addiction or mental health issues, which could lead to a denial. Even records from providers not specializing in mental health, such as an OB/GYN, may be relevant. For example, discussions about abortion might indicate severe depression or suicidal thoughts, raising concerns about the applicant’s ability to handle a handgun safely,” the MCSO spokesperson said in a statement. State law confounds the issue by allowing the release of “records concerning the mental health or capacity of the applicant” and requiring the sheriff’s office to consider “physical or mental infirmity” in determining carry permit eligibility, a confusion Representative Kidwell, known for sponsoring prior legislation to eliminate the permitting process, intends to clarify in drafting the new legislation. “Anything that goes beyond the necessity that the sheriff or sheriff’s deputies would need to make that decision is invasive in my mind … It’s inappropriate for them to be provided that information because it’s not necessary to make the decision they need to make. That’s blatantly none of their business and should not be provided … One of the things I do constantly is to try and look at legislation and say, ‘What’s the worst thing that can happen with this?’ And that’s what I try to address … We’ll have to come up with a different format, a different form, something along those lines so that the medical records are not released inappropriately,” says Kidwell. The North Carolina General Assembly formally convenes its next session on January 29. Proponents of any permitting process beyond the Second Amendment foolishly claim the requirement somehow makes communities safer, however, violent crime is already illegal, and I don’t think criminals bent on murder are deterred by a permit to carry whatever device they intend to use, be it a firearm, knife, pressure cooker or vehicle. This type of situation is an understandable result of making laws to chase other laws that were made to violate other laws rather than simply enforcing the law and allowing Americans the unfettered means to protect themselves and their families. Confused yet? You should be. That’s exactly where they want you. Gregg Kielma FFL-Firearms- Instructor First Aid Fundamentals Instructor-Gunsmith- AED Defibrillator Sales

If Your Homeless and Sleeping in Your Car… And It’s going to be -10 °F in a few days. How Do You Survive? God Bless The Homeless Humans and Animals Gregg Kielma FFL-Firearms- Instructor First Aid Fundamentals Instructor-Gunsmith- AED Defibrillator Sales If possible, go to any place that is open 24/7 and, worst case scenario, spend the night walking. Sleep during the day. If you get a sharp stubbing pain in your fingers, toes, or (less likely) cheeks, immediately take off your glove or sock or what have you and massage the part that is hurting. Massage until circulation is restored, i.e. until it’s red. Rubbing with snow is a good way to restore circulation. It’s counterintuitive, but you want to shock your capillaries into expanding. No circulation = no oxygen for your cells = necrosis. Warm blood circulating will warm you up. If you are dressed for the weather and know how to do the above, I’d recommend spending the night exercising. Exercise will keep you warm. Others who were more passive didn’t survive. The car will keep you warm but also humid. Too many variables there. Warm shoes, socks, gloves, and a hat are a necessity. If you are staying warm by burning candles or other things, get a carbon monoxide/smoke detector. If you have access to firewood, consider burning fire all night. Get a bunch of reflective thermal blankets (you can get them in a dollar store) and make a shelter out of them near the fire. But you can’t sleep. Don’t be a hero, don’t brave it. Stay warm and save yourself from death. God Bless The Homeless Humans and Animals Gregg Kielma FFL-Firearms- Instructor First Aid Fundamentals Instructor-Gunsmith- AED Defibrillator Sales

Ohio Man Sentenced to Prison for Selling Firearms Without a Federal License Wednesday, January 15, 2025 U.S. Attorney's Office, Northern District of Ohio Legally Purchased Firearms Traced to Numerous Shootings Including One Homicide Say's FFL and Firearms Instructor Gregg Kielma, "don't purchase firearms to be resold. It's illegal and called a "straw deal" God forbid it's used in a crime or homicide. You will go to jail when investigated and caught by the ATF. Don't lie on the 4473 ATF Form. This form is like signing your tax return. Be honest. Answer all the questions truthfully. And most importantly don't jeopardize my livelihood, my good name and my business by lying to me and the federal government (ATF). Continues Kielma, if I feel the something is wrong with the sale, I'm contacting the ATF and presenting the paperwork and facts as I understand them. You will be investigated. Please, just do the right thing. After the background check and waiting period if you don't have a CCW pick it up and enjoy. Concludes Kielma, purchase the gun for yourself and enjoy the shooting sport. Do the right thing. Now let's take a look below and see how you don't do it. Don't Lie For The Other Guy! CLEVELAND – Richard Seawright, 28, of Cleveland, has been sentenced to 33 months in prison by U.S. District Judge Dan Polster, after he pled guilty to reselling firearms he acquired legally, reselling them without a federal firearms license, and lying on paperwork that he was the actual buyer. According to court documents, Seawright legally bought more than 50 firearms from around April 17, 2018, to about Dec. 12, 2022, at federally licensed dealers throughout Northeast Ohio. He admitted to lying on federal firearms transaction record forms which he completed and submitted when the firearms were purchased. The forms are a requirement of the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms, and Explosives (ATF) to inform buyers about the specific restrictions on the receipt and possession of firearms. Each buyer must certify that they do not intend to transfer or sell the firearm. Seawright admitted to making the purchases with the intent to sell them to others who were not legally allowed to buy or own firearms. The practice of acquiring firearms for others who are legally prohibited from buying, owning, or possessing them is known as ‘straw purchasing.’ During the investigation, law enforcement officials discovered that Seawright’s purchases from the licensed firearms dealer, were in fact re-sold to others and found to have been used in multiple acts of violence. Firearms that Seawright purchased were traced to crimes using the ATF’s National Integrated Ballistic Information Network, known as NIBIN. Ballistic cross analysis determined that firearms originally purchased by the defendant had multiple NIBIN connections to other shootings including one that resulted in a homicide. This case was investigated by ATF-Cleveland and was prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney Margaret Kane for the Northern District of Ohio. Contact Jessica Salas Novak Jessica.Salas.Novak@usdoj.gov Updated January 15, 2025

Most defensive gun cases don't involve discharging the weapon. If you use a shotgun for home defense, are you statistically safer if you rack the slide to deter an intruder? Gregg Kielma FFL-Firearms- Instructor First Aid Fundamentals Instructor-Gunsmith- AED Defibrillator Sales There are many who will disagree with me on this point. It’s recommend that all defensive firearms used for in-home defense be loaded, stored with a round chambered and ready for use at a moment’s notice - with one exception. I recommend that pump action shotguns be loaded but stored with an empty chamber. The sound of a pump action shotgun being racked to chamber a round is unmistakable and many times will deter an attack. This is well documented. You still need to be ready and willing to use it if necessary if: Assuming the sound alone will deter attackers, and they retreat, you have already saved your life and possibly the attacker. Some attackers are betting you won’t have the bravery to use it while others may have a death wish. In any case, you only deploy a firearm in necessary self-defense situations, you are the “reasonable person” and if you are willing and able to use it. If not, the possibility of having your firearm taken from you by an attacker and used against you is very real. Gregg Kielma FFL-Firearms- Instructor First Aid Fundamentals Instructor-Gunsmith- AED Defibrillator Sales

Do you think a gun keeps your home safe from burglars? The Knoxville Study Gregg Kielma FFL-Firearms- Instructor First Aid Fundamentals Instructor-Gunsmith- AED Defibrillator Sales Burglars, like all criminals, must assess risk before engaging in a particular criminal activity. Some are dim bulbs and get caught rather easily. The smart ones become quite good at-risk assessment and run for a long time period before they are caught. Breaking into a residence involves significant risk. How much risk? That depends on a wide variety of factors, including the physical security level of the house, whether it will it be easy to ingress and egress without being seen by neighbors, cameras, passersby, and whether the homeowner is home. Above all, they would like to know if there is someone in the home with a gun. That would constitute an extremely high risk break in. Criminals are rarely suicidal, and there are countless cases where a criminal has broken in (alive) but came out dead in a body bag. We know it, and they know it If you have not heard of the Knoxville study, you should. Here it is: The Knoxville Study: Today burglars fear the homeowner much more than the police. They know the police cannot shoot them for crimes against property and cannot chase them if they flee in a vehicle. When was the last time you heard of the Supreme Court handing down a ruling in favor of the victim and their property or more authority for the police to apprehend? Burglars are familiar with how the criminal justice system works to their benefit from slap-on-wrist judges who hand out probation five or six times to sympathetic jurors who view a burglar’s drug addiction, abusive father or alcoholic mother as a valid excuse. They are also aware of jail overcrowding and budget cuts which lessens punishments for their crime. Hardly a day goes by that a team of psychiatrists, psychologists, social workers, behaviorists, criminologists, etc. aren’t doing Q & A surveys in prisons and jails seeking answers to antisocial behavior. The most profound and undisputed survey I reviewed was asked of convicted burglars by an FBI behaviorist: 1. Would you B&E (break and enter) a home if you thought it occupied? A. No — 88 percent (the other 12 percent are hard-core burglars). 2. Would you B&E a home if you knew the owner was home and maybe had a gun? A. No — 95 percent (the other 5 percent are called cat burglars) 3. Would you B&E a home if you knew the owner was home and did, in fact, have a gun? A. No — 100 percent (I told you they fear the homeowner). So, to answer the question, no, a gun (a metal tool) in the house without an operator has no effect on keeping the home “safe.” That same gun in the hand of someone who is willing to use it to protect him or herself is very different matter. Gregg Kielma FFL-Firearms- Instructor First Aid Fundamentals Instructor-Gunsmith- AED Defibrillator Sales

Grand Rapids Man Sentenced For Firearms Violation, Apprehended With AR-Style Gun At High School Graduation Friday, January 17, 2025 U.S. Attorney's Office, Western District of Michigan GRAND RAPIDS – U.S. Attorney for the Western District of Michigan Mark Totten today announced that Shyon Malik Armstrong, 19, of Grand Rapids, was sentenced to 50 months in prison for being a felon in possession of firearms. “At one of life’s most celebratory moments – a high school graduation – Mr. Armstrong created the risk of horrendous harm for these graduates, their families, and school officials,” said U.S. Attorney Mark Totten. “I’m so grateful to the Grand Rapids Police Department officers who acted swiftly to protect the community. Every person – no matter who they are or where they live – has a right to live free from the fear of gun violence.” On May 30, 2024, Grands Rapids Police Department responded to information that violence might break out at a graduation ceremony at Calvary Church. The police had learned earlier in the day that two street gangs were fighting and threatening acts of violence at the graduation ceremony. Mr. Armstrong attempted to flee police, but when they detained him, they found two loaded firearms in his backpack. One of the guns was an AR-style pistol with an extended magazine containing 35 rounds of ammunition. The Grand Rapids Police Department and the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives investigated this case. This case is part of Project Safe Neighborhoods (PSN), a program bringing together federal, state, local, and tribal law enforcement, and the local community to develop effective, locally based strategies to reduce violent crime. For more information, visit www.justice.gov/psn. Updated January 17, 2025

Two Men Sentenced in Connection with Smuggling of Gun Parts to Mexico Friday, January 17, 2025 U.S. Attorney's Office, Western District of Texas USATXW.MediaInquiry@usdoj.gov San Antonio, Texas – Two Mexican nationals have been sentenced to prison as part of a conspiracy to smuggle AR-15 parts out of the United States and into Mexico. Jose Francisco Garcia-Cervantes was sentenced today to 57 months in prison. Ricardo Rodriguez-Sotelo was sentenced to 78 months in prison on October 24, 2024, as part of the same case. According to court documents, both men participated in the illegal trafficking of firearm parts from the Western and Southern Districts of Texas to Mexico. Garcia-Cervantes acted as a smuggler for the operation and transported boxes of gun parts to Mexico. Rodriguez-Sotelo prepared gun parts to be smuggled across the border by repackaging them at a storage unit in Laredo, Texas, where they would be picked up for delivery by truck to Mexico. Three co-defendants, Chandler Britain Bradford, Troy Vernon Erbe, and Jesus Guzman-Delgado are pending trial. U.S. Attorney Jaime Esparza of the Western District of Texas made the announcement: “Rodriguez-Sotelo and Garcia-Cervantes played significant roles in an operation that moved a vast number of gun parts from the United States to Mexico. We will continue to work diligently with law enforcement partners to combat weapons trafficking and the illegal flow of guns to Mexico.” The Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives, along with the Department of Homeland Security Investigations and Department of Commerce Export Enforcement Division investigated the case. Assistant U.S. Attorney William F. Calve prosecuted the case. Updated January 17, 2025

Multiple Defendants Indicted on Federal Firearms Charges Friday, January 17, 2025 U.S. Attorney's Office, Southern District of Georgia Cases include indictment of man accused in Fort Eisenhower murder SAVANNAH, GA: Newly returned indictments in the Southern District of Georgia include charges alleging felons illegally possessed firearms, while additional defendants have been sentenced to federal prison or await further proceedings after pleading guilty to federal gun charges. “Removing guns from the hands of those who are prohibited from possessing them is a vital part of this office’s effort to fight violent crime,” said Jill E. Steinberg, U.S. Attorney for the Southern District of Georgia. “Our law enforcement partners continue their valiant efforts to identify individuals who illegally possess weapons in our communities.” The cases are prosecuted as part of Project Safe Neighborhoods in collaboration with federal, state, and local law enforcement agencies, including the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives (ATF) and the FBI, to reduce violent crime with measures that include targeting convicted felons who illegally possess guns. Those indicted in January include: • Natravien Reshawn Landry, 25, of Abbeville, Louisiana, charged with Premeditated Murder and Use of a Firearm During a Crime of Violence for the Dec. 14, 2024, fatal shooting of U.S. Army Sgt. Andre S. Stewart Jr. at Fort Eisenhower in a case under investigation by the Department of the Army Criminal Investigation Division. Also, • Fitz Kenney Williams, 33, of Augusta, charged with Illegal Receipt of a Firearm by a Person Under Indictment; • Ruben Alejandro Reyna-Mendoza, 47, of Ridgeland, South Carolina, charged with Possession of a Firearm by a Convicted Felon; and, • Jarvis Jerrell Giles, 36, of Savannah, charged with Possession of a Firearm by a Convicted Felon. All indicted defendants are considered innocent unless and until proven guilty. Defendants recently adjudicated on federal firearms charges include: • Lial Stephens, 28, of Pooler, Ga., was sentenced to 64 months in prison and ordered to pay $11,400 in restitution after pleading guilty to two counts of Interference with Commerce by Robbery. Stephens pointed a pistol at a Garden City, Ga., convenience store clerk during robberies in September and November 2023. • Jeremy Studdard, 43, of Dublin, Ga., was sentenced to 80 months in prison and fined $1,500 after pleading guilty to Possession of Firearms by a Convicted Felon, and Possession of Methamphetamine with Intent to Distribute. Studdard, initially facing a federal gun charge, was out on bond for related state charges when Dublin police officers found him in possession of drugs and guns during two separate traffic stops. • Ray Charles Canady III, 51, of Augusta, awaits sentencing after pleading guilty to Interference with Commerce by Robbery, Possession of a Firearm in Furtherance of a Crime of Violence. Richmond County investigators arrested Canady after he brandished a firearm at an Augusta convenience store in February 2024 and threatened an employee before running from the store with cash and lottery tickets. • Phillip Moore, 29, of Savannah, awaits sentencing after pleading guilty to Possession of a Firearm by a Convicted Felon. Savannah police officers conducting foot patrol in a Savannah neighborhood found Moore in possession of a semiautomatic pistol while arresting him for trespassing. • Kenneth Moultrie Jr., 24, of Savannah, awaits sentencing after pleading guilty to Possession of a Firearm by a Convicted Felon. Savannah police officers found a semiautomatic pistol in Moultrie’s possession during an April 2024 traffic stop. The cases are being prosecuted for the United States by the Southern District of Georgia U.S. Attorney’s Office. Under federal law, it is illegal for an individual to possess a firearm if he or she falls into one of nine prohibited categories including being a felon; illegal alien; or unlawful user of a controlled substance. Further, it is unlawful to possess a firearm in furtherance of a drug trafficking offense or violent crime. It is also illegal to purchase – or even to attempt to purchase – firearms if the buyer is a prohibited person or illegally purchasing a firearm on behalf of others. Lying on ATF Form 4473, which is used to lawfully purchase a firearm, also is a federal offense. For more information from the ATF on the lawful purchasing of firearms, please see: https://www.atf.gov/qa-category/atfw-form-4473 Contact Barry L. Paschal, Public Affairs Officer: 912-652-4422 Updated January 17, 2025

Federally Licensed Firearms Dealer And Two Conspirators Plead Guilty To Gun Trafficking Monday, January 13, 2025 U.S. Attorney's Office, Middle District of Florida Orlando, Florida – United States Attorney Roger B. Handberg announces that Matthew L. Stephen Easton (35, Melrose) has pleaded guilty to firearms trafficking. Easton faces a maximum penalty of 15 years in federal prison. His sentencing hearing is scheduled for January 24, 2025. Easton’s co-defendants, Derick Yamir Perez Diaz (22, Orlando) and Ernesto Vasquez (23, Kissimmee), previously pleaded guilty to conspiracy to traffic firearms. They each also face a maximum penalty of 15 years in federal prison. Perez Diaz and Vasquez are scheduled to be sentenced on March 25 and April 8, 2025, respectively. According to the plea agreements, Easton, a federally licensed firearms dealer, supplied Perez Diaz with large quantities of firearms, despite knowing that Perez Diaz was dealing in firearms without a license. Perez Diaz, in turn, trafficked those firearms to Vasquez who resold them and smuggled them out of the country. Between October and December 2023, more than 100 Glock pistols and AK-47 rifles were trafficked. Additionally, Vasquez and Perez Diaz admitted to trafficking machinegun conversion devices: On April 18, 2024, agents with the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives, executed a Search Warrant at Vazquez’s residence. Inside they found multiple firearms, stockpiles of ammunition, and grenades: This case was investigated by the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives, the United States Postal Inspection Service, and Homeland Security Investigations. It is being prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorneys Noah P. Dorman and Dana E. Hill. This case is part of Project Safe Neighborhoods (PSN), a program bringing together all levels of law enforcement and the communities they serve to reduce violent crime and gun violence, and to make our neighborhoods safer for everyone. On May 26, 2021, the Department launched a violent crime reduction strategy strengthening PSN based on these core principles: fostering trust and legitimacy in our communities, supporting community-based organizations that help prevent violence from occurring in the first place, setting focused and strategic enforcement priorities, and measuring the results. Updated January 13, 2025