U.S.A. – -(Ammoland.com)- “Former San Diego County sheriff’s deputy, four others charged with illegal gun trafficking,” CNN reported Saturday. “Marco Garmo, 52, served as a sheriff’s deputy 27 years and was the captain in charge of the Rancho San Diego Station…was charged with engaging in the business of dealing in firearms without a license, making false statements in acquisition of a firearm, obstruction of justice, aiding and abetting the possession of marijuana with intent to distribute and other offenses.”
Outrageously, per The San Diego Union-Tribune, Garmo’s activities had been known by his department and only resulted in a reprimand from Sheriff Bill Gore (formerly in charge of the attack on Randy Weaver’s family at Ruby Ridge) and a warning letter from the District Attorney, “a longtime political ally of Gore’s.” Garmo himself dismissed his activities as “truly a hobby for me, and it just got a little out of control.”
See how understanding the Sheriff and DA would be if you told them that was your “hobby.”
And the elitism didn’t stop there. Back to the CNN report, we are told:
“Many of those transactions involved ‘off-roster’ handguns, which under California law could only be sold to law enforcement officers, not members of the general public…”
That’s done under the pretext that police are the “Only Ones” who can be trusted with guns or with having special exemptions in “gun-free zones” and the like, and that “the people” the Second Amendment refers to cannot be. As a side note, that term originated with a DEA agent who told a classroom full of schoolchildren he was “the only one professional enough” to have a gun on him in their presence and then shot himself in the leg trying to holster his Glock.
For Garmo, taking advantage of his “Only Ones” exemptions reportedly did not stop there:
“Besides making a profit, Garmo sold guns to cultivate future donors for his anticipated campaign for sheriff of San Diego County…”
Presumably, over $150K from the tax cows wasn’t enough, and besides, everybody whose anybody in California “law enforcement” apparently exploits their exclusive privilege. A week-and-a-half ago, we discussed how politically-motivated top LE honchos took advantage of California’s “may issue” concealed carry permit system to reward political donors, withholding the right from the rest of the citizenry under the fraudulent guise of “commonsense gun safety.”
And it’s not like those with elite “opportunities” going the extra step Garmo is accused of are such rarities, as the “few bad apples” apologists would have us believe. It took me less than a minute to find the following cases via a search engine:
- Former Pasadena Police Lieutenant Agrees to Plead Guilty in Federal Gun Trafficking Case
- Gardena Police Officers Convicted of Illegal Gun Dealing, Selling Guns to Felons
- ATF warns Southern California law enforcement officers may be illegally selling guns
And who could forget the man more powerful than a mere “Only One,” zealously anti-gun (for everyone except those he relied on and illegally profited from) disgraced State Senator Leland Yee?
Add to that guns “reported” lost or stolen:
“An NBC Bay Area investigation into the loss and theft of police firearms uncovered more than 500 weapons have gone missing from eight different law enforcement agencies since 2010.”
While we’re at it, let’s not forget how “buyback” guns have “mysteriously” turned up at crime scenes…
This might be the place where it’s appropriate to mention California is “A”-rated on its citizen disarmament edicts by Gungrabby Gabby & Co. Yet with each new act of lawbreaking in a “gun-free zone,” we’re subjected to no shortage of useful idiots on social media demanding “Something must be done!” and how “NRA is a terrorist organization with blood on its hands!”
It’s also appropriate to mention a place that, based on its edicts, must rate an A++, Mexico. It’s not only the leading source for “sanctuary” beneficiaries,” but also where the ties and supply lines between “authorities” and narco-traffickers are so strong, some of them went off and formed their own cartel. That, of course, leads to renewed blame of “lax American gun laws” by those who are intent on positions of power in the violence monopoly they intend to impose by hook, by crook, by lies, and by force.
About David Codrea:
David Codrea is the winner of multiple journalist awards for investigating/defending the RKBA and a long-time gun owner rights advocate who defiantly challenges the folly of citizen disarmament. He blogs at “The War on Guns: Notes from the Resistance,” is a regularly featured contributor to Firearms News, and posts on Twitter: @dcodrea and Facebook.