Open Letter to ATF, Investigate St. Tammany, La Sheriff Gun Confiscations

Sheriff’s Office of St. Tammany Parish, Louisiana
St. Tammany Parish, Louisiana.Sheriff Jack Strain, Jr. & Chief Deputy Tim Lentz
Phillip M. Durham
Special Agent in Charge
New Orleans Field Office
Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives
U.S. Department of Justice
One Galleria Boulevard, Suite 1700
Metairie, Louisiana 70001
Independent Firearm Owners Association
Independent Firearm Owners Association

Rindge, New Hampshire –-(Ammoland.com)- Dear Mr. Durham,

On behalf of the Independent Firearm Owners Association (IFoA) and our members in Louisiana, I am hereby requesting you to open an investigation into violations of federal firearm laws we believe to have been committed (on going) by the Sheriff’s Office of St. Tammany Parish, Louisiana.

Since we commenced an action against Sheriff Jack Strain in Federal District Court New Orleans, ( Sherrie Manton IFoA v. Sheriff Rodney “Jack” Strain, Jr. et al) a substantial number of citizens from St. Tammany Parish have contacted us regarding the confiscation of their firearms (under the guise of asset forfeitures), never to be seen by their lawful owners after final investigation.

Furthermore we have developed information that the office in question apparently transfers those “seized” firearms and sells them “for profit” to friends, co-workers and others.

We have looked at the most recent records of FFL licensees in Louisiana and cannot find the St. Tammany Sheriff’s Office as a bone fide licensee. It is our legal opinion that the ongoing and substantial transfer of firearms “for profit” constitutes both a violation of the GCA ‘68 which you are primarily tasked with enforcing as well as other serious state and federal criminal acts which fall under the jurisdiction of other agencies.

Therefore we respectfully request a thorough investigation of the acquisition and disposition of firearms by the St. Tammany Sheriff’s Office.

We will provide you with the names of individuals who have both personal and direct knowledge of these allegations and are prepared to give such testimony under oath. We at the Independent Firearm Owners Association strongly support the critical mission ATF has in preventing the illegal marketing and transfer in firearms. This issue becomes even more compelling when the perpetrators are doing so under “color of law” and disgrace the office and the community they are sworn to protect.

We look forward to working with you in the New Orleans Field Office providing any and all information we have to help expedite your investigation into this matter.

Sincerely yours,
 
Richard Feldman, Esq.
President
Independent Firearm Owners Association
IFoA@usa.net
www.IFoAusa.org

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The Independent Firearm Owners Association believes that defending the constitutional and statutory right of firearms ownership will be most successful when based upon a broad understanding of attitudes different Americans hold toward the role of firearms in a free society. www.independentfirearmowners.org