November 7, 2001

Joliet held their gun buy-back and blew through $7,150 tax dollars. But there is good news here:

1) Thanks to the Champaign County Rifle Association 16 junk guns were turned in. $800 will now go to support Gun Rights in Illinois. 11% of the take isn't bad. Looks like the others who got money for guns are just going to blow the cash so Gun Rights came out a big winner.

2) Matt Beauchamp of the Chicago Libertarian Party was present and managed to kick up the dust with a video camera. [See also -- Mr. Joe Hosey's report from the Herald News: Gun buy-back program a big success.]

Unfortunately President Bush has dried up the funds for gun buybacks. A shame as we had finally developed a system to get the money into our own hands. With luck some rich liberal SOB will fund another gun buy-back and we can once again get some funding.

My thanks to Champaign County Rifle Association and Mr. Matt Beauchamp! They are hereby declared PATRIOTS of the First Order.

See also: Gun buy-back program a big success
By Joe Hosey
[email protected]
Staff Writer, The Herald News

Text below is a letter sent to CC NEWS
by Matt Beauchamp, Chairman, Libertarian Party, Chicago:
[Editor's Note: We also happily claim Matt as a member of KeepAndBearArms.com.]

John,

I attended the HAJ buyback program on Saturday at 8am. What a joke.

I couldn't believe there were about 12 people lined up and waiting to get in. I had my roommate follow me with my camcorder this time so I now have hard evidence of laws being broken. I also had a hidden tape recorder on to catch all the verbal stuff. Here's the low down:

I preface the tape with outside shot and narration of date, time and situation. Matt Lonergan follows me to the front of the building. I ask a lady walking out if she was just given money for her gun. "Yes". I ask if a FOID was needed -- "No".

I walk into the building with Lonergan and see Joe Hosey there [Staff Writer, The Herald News]. I introduce myself while waiting to get to the table where the guns are being taken. The room is way small (not like the Cook County fiasco). There is a table with three people behind it. A man in a blue uniform (don't know if it was cop or HAJ), a man in a white uniform (Sergeant Albrecht). Again, don't know if he was a cop or HAJ. And a Hispanic lady with a clipboard dressed normally. A uniformed cop (I assume) was standing by the door and a big doofus in a red shirt was "overseeing" the program. I have all the names on tape but haven't run through them all yet.

I ask who is in charge -- the red-shirted doofus is in charge.

Matt Beauchamp: "Are you in possession of a Federal Firearms License?"

Red Shirted Doofus: "Joliet Housing Authority is overseeing the program and is authorized to...."

MB: "That's fine, but do you have an FFL here on the premises?"

RSD: "No, we do not"

MB: "Are you aware that it is a violation of federal firearms laws to deal guns without such a license?"

RSD: " No I am not"

MB: "Well, it is. Are you going to continue to violate this law today?"

RSD -- no answer

MB: "OK -- are you asking these people to present an FOID card with their weapons"

Sgt Albrecht: "This is total anonymity and...."

MB: "So the answer is no, right?"

RSD: "Right, 'no' we are not asking for FOID"

MB: " Are you aware that it is a violation of Illinois firearms laws to purchase a weapon without and FOID and that records of the transaction must be kept for 10 years?"

RSD: "no I am not"

MB: "Well, it is. Are you going to continue to violate this law today?"

Blue Uniformed Man: "Is there an exception for law enforcement?"

MB: "There are no citings, ANYWHERE in the Illinois or federal laws giving an exemption to law enforcement. Do all of these guns have serial number on them?"

SA: "We inspect the guns later"

MB: "Are you aware that receiving a firearm with it's serial number removed, defaced, etc is a violation of federal firearms laws?" No answer

MB: "It is. "

So then I ask to film them handing money to the next customer and the Red Shirt gets agitated and gets the "Program Manager" who is a black fellow named Morris. I repeat all this to him and he refuses to allow filming. He puts his hand in front of the camera. I am not too upset by this as we have 4 witnesses to the money being handed out (me, Lonergan, Hosey and my girlfriend).

Then I kind of hang back by the door and issue commentary to Hosey as this B.S. continues.

There were absolutely no controls on the inventory. Albrecht would take then gun from the sucker, then unwrap it (most were in paper bags, etc). He would then say "pistol" or "revolver" or "shotgun" and throw it in a box behind him. The Hispanic lady would (presumably -- I couldn't see) write this detailed analysis on her clipboard and hand the sucker $50.

The guns were never checked for functionality (never tried to work the action on any guns) and there were no numbered receipts as far as I could tell. All the long guns were carried away into the back office.

SO -- I have all this on tape and am trying to figure out who to send it to. I hear the SA for Will County is a guy named Jeff Tomczeck (sp?). Any clue how to contact him? Also, who is the congressman for that area? Will also send a copy to AG Jim Ryan and the guy who took Lassar's place in the federal district.

Hosey seemed like a bit of an idiot but the story ran on Sunday (I haven't seen it). Further, Albrecht said all the guns would be photographed "in compliance with federal law" -- never heard of that before but you can bet I'll be using FOIA to get those photos and a copy of the clipboard scribbling.

Any other suggestions would be appreciated.

Matt
[email protected]