An Open
Letter from KT Ordnance
August 24, 2006
As you know I had been raided by the ATF, FBI, and Canadian ATF
back on June 7, 2006.
The Asset Forfeiture & Seized Property Branch
of the BATFE has now contacted me. I have to date not been charged
or arrested for anything. They sent this letter out on August 4
2006; I received it on August 22 2006. They gave me 20 days from
date on the letter (not the date I received it) to file grievance
(sent by certified, return receipt).
I also have to put up a 10% bond for the assets value
(they valued the items at $11,350.00) just for the privilege of
attempting to get the items back. They claim in the forfeiture letter
that these items where “used or acquired in violation of federal
law”, yet I've not been charged with violating any law.
Notice the “Disposal” afforded BATFE with
no conviction or arrest.
(b) Disposal
In the case of the forfeiture of any firearm by reason of a violation
of this chapter, no notice of public sale shall be required; no
such firearm shall be sold at a public sale; if such firearm is
forfeited for a violation of this chapter and there is no remission
or mitigation of forfeiture thereof, it shall be delivered by the
Secretary to the Administrator of General Services, General Services
Administration, who may order such firearm destroyed or may sell
it to any State, or possession, or political subdivision thereof,
or at the request of the Secretary, may authorize its retention
for official use of the Treasury Department, or may transfer it
without charge to any executive department or independent establishment
of the Government for use by it.
It seems they want to keep them for there own use,
as some are desirable. I cannot help but think that these will end
up in some politician's private collection. You may view the items
in question here
. The two items are the two 1911, 45 Cal pistols in the first three
pictures (Abigail & Elizabeth). And there are others not pictured.
All this with no charges filed, no arrest, and no conviction. I
call this theft.
They can come in, steal your property, show no I.D.,
use a warrant that is so secret that the Sheriff could
not see it, charge you with no crime, and then tell you, "we
are keeping your property, and we will give/sell it to whomever
we want." If they do charge me (up to 5 years from now), and
I win, will I get back my property that they sold/gave away to someone
5 years earlier? What do you think?
With the vague description of the items seized, it
seems that they added items that are not mine, but who can tell
with a description of “rifle” no serial number(s), no
caliber, or any other descriptive markings (they did list the s/n’s
for the two 1911’s). How do I know that they even are mine?
Yet I must pay them 10% of the value just to find out. And they
decide the value.
Can you say, “racketeering” boys and girls?
This is a rogue agency, and must be stopped. I also
feel that there may be a connection between the fact that I support
JPFO (Jews for the Preservation of Firearms Ownership) and GOA (Gun
Owner of America), who are both actively trying to disband the BATFE.
(see JPFO's “The
Gang” documentary)
Richard Celata
