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January 22, 2010
SHOT Show Sting - 10
by John Haughey
Twenty-two executives and employees of firearms manufacturing companies were arrested this week at the SHOT Show in Las Vegas after a 2 1/2-year undercover sting operation aimed at schemes to bribe a foreign official. The Justice Department calls the case the largest single investigation and prosecution of individuals in the history of the 1977 Foreign Corrupt Practices Act, which bars bribery of foreign government officials. It also is the first large-scale use of an undercover operation in enforcing the act. Charged are people at companies in eight states and executives at companies in the United Kingdom and Israel. The defendants allegedly agreed to pay a 20 percent commission to a sales agent they believed represented the defense minister for an African country to win a multimillion-dollar deal to outfit the presidential guard. The sales agent was actually an undercover FBI agent, and no defense minister was involved at all. Initial reaction among Second Amendment advocates is skepticism, and a question: What is the 1977 Foreign Corrupt Practices Act? Gun Examiner David Codrea on examiner.com cautioned that there is still much unknown about the allegations in the indictments, but noted state and local harassment of gun shows has been increasing. "Now we're seeing [harassment] directed by high levels in the Justice Department at the trade show of the year," he writes. "Will the NRA Annual Meeting be the next convenient 'opportunity?’" The Justice Department maintains that the sting has nothing to do with the firearms industry, but with bribery of foreign government officials. If so, Codrea asks, "Will similar spectacular efforts soon be unfolding with other industries—and if not, why not?" Syd Weedon of Front Sight, Press writes that the violations took so much work by law enforcement agencies to induce, that the agencies should be "held equally culpable as part of the conspiracy—especially in a case like this, where the violation is highly technical and the targets of the sting might not even realize they were in violation." Too bad the FBI and other law enforcement agencies aren't using these tactics to "capture a known terrorist or high-level drug trafficker," Syd laments. Especially since the agency apparently spent $2.1 million per arrest during this 30-month investigation, according to "JoeT" on northeastshooters.com: "Let's see, at $75,000 a year, it's $6,250 a month per agent," he calculates. "$6250 x 30 months = $187,500 per agent. $187,500 x 250 agents = $46,875,000 to arrest 22 people." Voila! That's $46.875 million of your tax money to arrest 22 people, or more than $2.1 million each. "And I may not understand this correctly, but their charge is bribing someone for a government contract, that doesn't exist, in Africa," JoeT continues. "Is the government pissed because it wasn't their bribe? I was under the impression that this is how government contracts are made. How is this different than 'special interest groups' giving money?" It's different, says Rob Taylor on red-alerts.com, because it involves the firearms industry, and the Obama Administration is now going to show its true colors by harassing the industry since it has been unsuccessful in changing the laws. "I say this is a set up," Taylor writes. Those arrested "were the targets of a sting that almost any multinational corporation would have fallen into when doing business overseas. The question I have is, why legal arms manufacturers are being targeted by the FBI while militant Islam is increasing its activity here and abroad?" For more, go to: -- What is the Foreign Corrupt Practices Act? -- U.S Justice Department's "Lay-Person's Guide" to the Foreign Corrupt Practices Act (FCPA); -- Foreign Corrupt Practices Act: -- FBI Sting Nabs 22 People Suspected of Bribing Foreign Officials; -- Dept. of Justice press release: -- FBI arrests S&W VP at SHOT show: -- What is this 'sting' business?: -- 22 indicted in FBI foreign bribe sting; -- FBI Sting shakes 2010 SHOT Show! -- SHOT Show sting;
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Comments (10)
Anyone else smell the "CHANGE"(46 MILLION +)
I'm a strong supporter of the second amendment, but the quotes in this article come off paranoid. I don't think the arrests have anything to do with guns. Basicaly the foreign corrupt practices act makes it illegal for companies registered with the SEC to bribe foreign officials, these gun companies aren't alone in being charged, the wall street journal for the past several weeks has been running articles on a slew of new indictments under the act across a range of industries.
This really has very little to do with guns and gun rights, and a lot to do with corporate corruption and greed. I'm skeptical (and annoyed) about the choice of the shot show for making the arrests--the timing and location seems calculated to create bad publicity. But this kind of corruption should be prosecuted, whether it's happening in the gun industry or any other industry.
Of course, nothing like this is to be taken at face value. The real threat to national security is that someone is capable of misappropriating government funds to create this kind of a stink for their own political advantage. Having worked for the government, I am aware that such expenditures must be justified and take years to be funded. Looks like some kind of double cross for control to me.
Lol, blame Obama cause he was in office two and a half years ago. Do these people realize how stupid they sound?
I'm ignorant of these laws.i don't deal with the gun shows and dealers.Keep all my business close to the vest.But the cost of this sting is outragious.And given the deals i've seen in congress lately these people are just following the lead.
Mr. Haughey warped view of the world will continue if he insists letting his shooting glasses put things out of focus. This story was of interest to me but his distorted take is not. Take off the blinders and give us an intelligent and balanced piece of reporting. Any High School journalism teacher would have this piece covered in red ink. If the pro gun and hunting community is counting on this kind of inflammatory and paranoid soap box banter to further and protect our cause we are in real trouble.
It's funny (not as in ha, ha funny) how the United Kingdom and Israel, two of the world's strictest gun control law nations are involved in this wrong doing.
this is how they spend our tax dollars this sting is crap give me 100,000 i can get my self out of debt and have some left over.this administration is done!
They broke the law for nothing more than greed, even after a banner year of gun sales. All execs of public corporations need to sign a yearly statement that they understand the FCPA. These guys got stung because they were greedy. This operation was started during the Bush years, but it is so much easier to blame the Obama Administration. LOL!
Post a Comment (200 characters or less)
Mr. Haughey warped view of the world will continue if he insists letting his shooting glasses put things out of focus. This story was of interest to me but his distorted take is not. Take off the blinders and give us an intelligent and balanced piece of reporting. Any High School journalism teacher would have this piece covered in red ink. If the pro gun and hunting community is counting on this kind of inflammatory and paranoid soap box banter to further and protect our cause we are in real trouble.
This really has very little to do with guns and gun rights, and a lot to do with corporate corruption and greed. I'm skeptical (and annoyed) about the choice of the shot show for making the arrests--the timing and location seems calculated to create bad publicity. But this kind of corruption should be prosecuted, whether it's happening in the gun industry or any other industry.
They broke the law for nothing more than greed, even after a banner year of gun sales. All execs of public corporations need to sign a yearly statement that they understand the FCPA. These guys got stung because they were greedy. This operation was started during the Bush years, but it is so much easier to blame the Obama Administration. LOL!
It's funny (not as in ha, ha funny) how the United Kingdom and Israel, two of the world's strictest gun control law nations are involved in this wrong doing.
this is how they spend our tax dollars this sting is crap give me 100,000 i can get my self out of debt and have some left over.this administration is done!
Lol, blame Obama cause he was in office two and a half years ago. Do these people realize how stupid they sound?
Of course, nothing like this is to be taken at face value. The real threat to national security is that someone is capable of misappropriating government funds to create this kind of a stink for their own political advantage. Having worked for the government, I am aware that such expenditures must be justified and take years to be funded. Looks like some kind of double cross for control to me.
I'm a strong supporter of the second amendment, but the quotes in this article come off paranoid. I don't think the arrests have anything to do with guns. Basicaly the foreign corrupt practices act makes it illegal for companies registered with the SEC to bribe foreign officials, these gun companies aren't alone in being charged, the wall street journal for the past several weeks has been running articles on a slew of new indictments under the act across a range of industries.
I'm ignorant of these laws.i don't deal with the gun shows and dealers.Keep all my business close to the vest.But the cost of this sting is outragious.And given the deals i've seen in congress lately these people are just following the lead.
Anyone else smell the "CHANGE"(46 MILLION +)
Post a Comment (200 characters or less)