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Targeting based on Past Errors: The ATF used procedural errors from 16 years ago, which they had previously cleared Harris of, as a basis for targeting his Federal Firearms License (FFL). Despite having letters clearing him.
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ATF Tactics and Home-based Dealers: Harris and other home-based gun dealers claim the ATF is specifically intimidating them into voluntarily surrendering their FFLs, exploiting their limited financial resources.
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Questionable Due Process: The ATF’s Director of Industry Operations for its Dallas Field Office, Krissy Y. Carlson, signed Harris’s notice of revocation. However, she also oversees his appeal, raising concerns about potential conflicts.
If the Biden-Harris administration continues its unconstitutional war on gun dealers, the local gun shop will become just a memory, and only big-box sporting goods stores will be able to sell firearms, says Tom Harris, who’s been selling guns from his Lewisville, Texas home for the past 30 years.
The Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives recently targeted Harris’ Federal Firearms License for revocation.
His Crime?
ATF dug up procedural errors from as far back as 2007 to make their current “case,” but the ATF had already told Harris he was cleared of these 16-year-old clerical errors, as well as newer ones. He has letters attesting to this. Unfortunately, none of this mattered to the ATF inspectors, who began persecuting the 61-year-old disabled father of five to satisfy their supervisors’ push for FFL revocations.
“They threw the kitchen sink at me after they cleared me because their bosses weren’t happy with it,” Harris told the Second Amendment Foundation’s Investigative Journalism Project last month. “They are trying to intimidate me into surrendering my FFL.”
A story published last month revealed that Harris was the latest home-based gun dealer to be targeted by the ATF. Harris and others say the ATF chose to harass and intimidate home-based dealers into voluntarily surrendering their FFLs because they know most lack the financial resources to mount a legal defense and fight back.
“The ATF didn’t follow their own protocols,” Harris said. “Now, they’re making up allegations.”
One of Harris’ longtime customers created a GiveSendGo account, which has raised nearly $20,000, although Harris will likely need much more.
“I’m selling everything at cost to raise funds. I’ve received a very positive reaction from my customers, but the average citizen does not understand what the ATF is doing,” Harris said. “There are thousands of FFLs who have already given up – scared to continue. There will soon be a day when the local gun shop is just a memory, and you’ll have to go to big-box stores to buy a gun – stores who donate to political campaigns, have expensive lawyers, and are owned by holding groups or hedge funds that are not even located in the United States.”
Due Process?
Harris will appeal his notice of revocation at an ATF hearing next month. His notice of revocation was signed by Krissy Y. Carlson, ATF’s Director of Industry Operations (DIO) for its Dallas Field Office. Carlson will also oversee Harris’ appeal hearing.
“Her name is on the revocation notice, and she gets to be the judge,” Harris said. “My FFL is up for renewal in April, so even if I win my appeal, they could still deny my application for renewal.”
Harris was told ATF is “freaking out” over the exposure his case has drawn.
“They’re used to ramrodding and rolling right over people,” he said. “ATF’s Dallas office is only 1.4 miles from my house. There are probably some decent people who work there, who have no choice but to drink the Kool-Aid or quit. They’re not quitting.”
Read Related:
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New Leak Shows The ATF’s Plan To Revoke FFLs
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ATF: Gun Shop License Revocations Up a Staggering 500%!?
About Lee Williams
Lee Williams, who is also known as “The Gun Writer,” is the chief editor of the Second Amendment Foundation’s Investigative Journalism Project. Until recently, he was also an editor for a daily newspaper in Florida. Before becoming an editor, Lee was an investigative reporter at newspapers in three states and a U.S. Territory. Before becoming a journalist, he worked as a police officer. Before becoming a cop, Lee served in the Army. He’s earned more than a dozen national journalism awards as a reporter, and three medals of valor as a cop. Lee is an avid tactical shooter.
batfe themselves cannot stand up to the scrutiny that they impose and demand upon ffl’s. how many unaccountable firearms (not) in their custody?
remember operation fast and furious?
Joe Biden may be a bribe taking, senile old man who took showers with his daughter and openly displays pedo tendencies, but he couldn’t do it without the Republikans. They went along with the game plan and helped to confirm Pedo Joe’s SCOTUS pick, his ATF pick and so on…..
Thank you Republikans for going along with the Demoncrats and confirming Dettelbach as head of the Always Taking Firearms. He has been a disaster.
The Uni-party strikes again!
I am surprised that the atf has not surrounded his house and burned it down on live national television. It’s not like the atfe has not done that before. What the atfe is doing here is tyrannical and treasonous to the oath which they swore to the people, the nation and the constitution. Both of those crimes are capitol in nature and thus deserve and are legally due capitol punishment. The more public this case gets the better it will be for the ffl holder and common American citizen. This case should be broadcast on national television, the internet and… Read more »
Re “I am surprised that the atf has not surrounded his house and burned it down on live national television,” don’t you actually mean “yet”?
The atfe has done this before and it did not phase them in the least that they murdered innocent men, women, children and infants due to them not collecting their illegal $200.00 tax. This is likely to become a common occurrence, so common in fact that we will have no choice except to go to war with the evil people who are running our government. The atfe knows they are criminal in this matter yet, they follow obiden’s orders. The atfe knows they are treasonous, tyrannical, looters, pillagers, murders, thieves, yet, they continue. Yes, it is possible that the atfe… Read more »
Won’t be the person behind the door who enforces laws against tyranny. That person will be royally screwed, though hopefully they (or you) can hold out long enough for assistance to arrive. No one person alone will stand against entire force of government, that will take many of us. Hopefully you have networked with likeminded individuals in your neighborhood.
Well, in the AFT’s defense, they attacked the Branch Davidian just to save the children. The children they subsequently smoked to death like a slab of bacon. Thanks AFT, for saving our kids!
Sort of.
“For the children” is standard excuse for increasing tyranny. In Waco as everywhere else, whatever is being done in name of “saving the children” is detrimental to the children, their families and the rest of us.
When I hear “for the children” or “if it saves one life” I know I’m getting a line of male bovine feces.
Agreed, but, to make matters worse, what if it “saves one life” and cost 20 more because a firearm wasn’t there for defense?
Sarcasm. I’m well aware of what happened at the Branch Davidian.
Not to mention that they machine gunned innocent men, women and children as they were trying to escape the firestorm!
Just remember, they will do the same thing to you and me and many other people!
I can’t imagine things could get much worse. Persecuting law abiding citizens trying to make a living. ATF is nothing other than a government BULLY, not terribly different from that other government BULLY, the IRS.
I sincerely hope this honest man prevails in the treacherous kangaroo court.
I don’t mean to be inflammatory by this… but eventually, if you kick the dog long enough, he’ll bite your ass. The weak will be made strong, when they stand up to this radical tyranny. I hope God will still Bless America.
We are long overdue for some inflammatory.
fair response!
All we need do is turn our country back over to God like our Founders did in establishing this Republic, and all will be well again. What is going on now is Satan worshiping.
yes sir
I’ve said for decades that a religious awakening is the only thing that will save the USA. It looks less likely every year, but then things like the response to “Sound of Freedom” happens, and I think, “Maybe…”
Stay positive in your thoughts and prayers and stay prepared for whatever is coming. Personally, the thought of pulling down on another human being is abhorrent to me, especially when it is an American citizen. But one has to do what is right, right?
The BATFE is a terrorist organization.
Can anyone recall an article here earlier this year about the FFL who had a few minor clerical errors, the local ATF guy said he did well, then came back later and said sorry, you have to give up your license? The reason: the agent typed the facts into an ATF computer program and it spit out the REVOKE command. If you remember the name of the case, please reply.
Got it. Thanks. That will be a lot of pages but at least I have a last resort now.
I sent $ to the GiveSendGo. Did you?
And what is the driving force behind ALL of this tyranny?? It is the unscrupulous, unlawful, hypocritical criminal organization we call the legal system!! All of its Operators, Actors, Agents and Officers are a part of the world wide criminal cabal, and therefor not even one of them can provide a logical basis for maintaining any amount of power or authority over anyone else. The very instant someone commits a crime, they lose even their pretense of any legitimate power or authority over others! As soon as you expose the crime(s) of others, they have no actual basis to operate… Read more »