This time they are going after Charlie Puckett the former head of the Kentucky State Militia.

Here is the email I received:

Here is an update from Sierratimes.com:

[url]www.sierratimes.com/archive/files/nov/28/arjj112801.htm[/url]

Kentucky Man Vows to Take on BATF Over Questionable Raid
By J.J. Johnson & Angel Shamaya KeepAndBearArms.com 11.28.01


--------------------------------------------------------------------------------

© 2001 Sierra Times.com. Reprint permission granted upon request.

Lancaster, Kentucky -- An automotive technician had his home raided by
federal agents over a 35 year-old non-violent felony on Tuesday. After the
7-hour action by the Bureau of Alcohol Tobacco and Firearms that cost the
loss of all firearms and a computer hard drive, Charlie Puckett vows to
fight back. "I will do whatever it takes to get my firearms back," he said.

At issue is the Constitutional guarantee against enforcement of ex-post
facto laws. Puckett was convicted in Virginia back in 1966 after for a crime
of petty theft -- stealing food from a grocery store. Some years later, that
crime was upgraded to a felony based on the value of the theft being over
$100. The Gun Control Act of 1968 stated a convicted felon could not possess
firearms, but this crime was not processed as a felony, and it happened two
years before GCA '68 was signed into law. Puckett was 19 years of age when
the incident took place.

"I was young then, and we were hungry", said Puckett. But somehow, someway,
a 35-year-old, non-violent felony justified Puckett's home being ransacked
by treasury agents, his property confiscated.

According to Robert Young, Special Agent in Charge for the BATF, a search
warrant was served on Puckett for 'suspicion of illegal firearms possession
'. This is what they apparently told the local newspaper (and probably
convinced Federal District Judge Todd, who signed the warrant). Don York, a
spokesman for the BATF said that Puckett has never applied for a
"restoration of rights'' with the BATF to allow to him to own firearms.

And it was never an issue -- for 35 years.

But the BATF failed to mention that Puckett -- who has never been charged
with any crime since, married to the same woman for 33 years, and a father
of two, with one grandchild -- had voted in every presidential election
since 1968. "I even filled out the 4473 forms to purchase these firearms,
and went through background checks," he told Sierra Times.

Convicted felons are also prohibited from voting, and background checks are
supposed to catch them. Perhaps he never made it into the system because he
was never convicted of a felony.

Puckett also stated that he has a Kentucky Conceal Carry Permit. "And they
check it every week to make sure nothing new comes up on someone's record,"
he said. Puckett has worked as an automotive technician for all of his adult
life.

The Take Down

Steve Anderson

Still at Large
According to Puckett, the incident began with a call from the BATF around
9:30 am. "They wanted to meet me in a neutral location to look at photos
concerning the Steve Anderson case." Anderson was allegedly involved in a
gunfight with two police officers in Bell County, Kentucky on October 14th
of this year. Despite a $5,000 reward for capture, Anderson is still at
large.

(continued)

Puckett, insisting he has no ties to Anderson, agreed to meet at a local
store to assist the BATF in their ongoing investigation of Anderson. Upon
arrival, he made the mistake of taking federal agents at their word, and was
served with a federal search warrant instead. "From there, we got in their
car and drove back to my place," said Puckett.

Reports say that between 35 and 50 federal agents (backed up by locals) took
part in the search. The dress was fed-casual: no ski masks or helmets, but
the body armor (with ATF logo) was on top of the shirts, sporting Glock
.45's and at least two M-16 rifles at the ready. No snipers were spotted.

The agents spent about 7 hours in the Puckett home, while Charlie remained
in his garage -- prevented from watching them rifle through his belongings.
He was not harmed, nor was he handcuffed during the search. "I feel like a
woman that has been raped and left to die," he said after they left. His
wife remains emotionally distraught over the ordeal.

The Loot

The mystery about the Puckett search and seizure is not what was taken, but
what was left behind. Puckett reports 5 weapons taken: Two bolt action
(single shot) rifles, two side arms and 1 SKA semi- auto are now in BATF
possession. But for a home that warranted up to 50 tax-supported, armed
agents in body armor, the firearms belonging to Puckett's son were left
behind. The jewel of the Puckett raid seems to have been the hard drive from
his computer.

"But they won't find much there. I never leave sensitive information there.
All of my contacts and other important information is kept off site and in a
safe place," said the angry BATF victim.

(continued)

The Fallout

No arrests were made. No charges have been filed. No court date has been
set. "They just left," he said. Still, Puckett says he's not done with this
matter in the least bit. He is throwing down the gauntlet. "My questions are
for the Assistant U.S. Attorney in the case: Are you going to prosecute
this? Under what grounds? If you took an oath to follow the Constitution,
this cannot be prosecuted due to the ex-post facto provision!"

Puckett said that he has found legal counsel and will be speaking with him
on Wednesday. He also stated that he has a network of close associates who
would assist in any legal costs. There is wide speculation that the raid on
the Puckett home was merely a desperate attempt to glean any information on
the whereabouts of Steve Anderson -- hence the hard drive seizure.

Puckett said he had plans to run for a seat in Kentucky's 34th congressional
district. But after his bout with federal authorities, he has a different
taste about working or associating with any federal authority. "First thing
I'm going to do [Wednesday] morning is call that FBI contact and tell him we
are done. I am never talking to them about anything again." He included a
newly developed unwillingness to disclose any information about Steve
Anderson, if such information ever came his way.

Puckett stated that he has worked with law enforcement before. According to
Puckett, he helped local Danville police round-up 28 suspects back in 1997.
"We also recovered a stolen police pistol," he said. But those days are over
now. "I am breaking off all contact with federal law enforcement. I have
lost all faith in this government."

Puckett also urges friends and associates from around the country to remain
calm, and not to jump to any conclusions. "No need to do something stupid,
folks. You could be next."

Scary!



This guy should be flattered that the government thinks he's dangerous enough to require 35-50 federal agents plus locals to handle him.  I don't think even Rambo took-on that many cops.

OK, so they steal his property, and I don't see where he has any recourse.  I use the word steal, because he wasn't charged with a crime.z

Dirty (local) politics at work too. This guy is getting totally fukked over.

Edited to make that sentence say dirty [b]local[/b] politics...

Imbro,my friend,I know I can call you my friend.You bring to light(with published backup) MANY of these injustices we would never hear about w/o the internet or your help,we,re in your debt.Not financially you FDCGH![;)]...........this stuff(C Puckett)is our government at work,dress casual of course.

Sounds like a civil suit might be appropriate.  I believe the constitution requires "specificity" of persons or things to be seized.  I find it interesting that they would take away something apparently totally unrelated to the subject of the search,namely the hard drive.  I wonder what the parameters of the search warrant were.  Notwithstanding that, the warrant may have been applied for in bad faith as well.  It definitely sounds like a convenient excuse to develop intelligence.

IMHO this guy needs to shut his mouth and get a lawyer.  Its not his ex-post-facto rights that are being violated, its his right to be free of unreasonable searches and seizures.  If what he said is true, he has never been convicted of a felony.  The feds probably knew this and were obviously looking for other things that would get him in trouble, such as machineguns or something.  In that respect the search was clearly a failure.  Such tactics are unfortunately not unheard of when trying to make a witness cooperative.

He doesn't look like he has anything to fear on the criminal side, so he needs to shore up his civil options quickly.

Charlie Puckett tried to play both sides of the fence and it has bit him in the ass.

He associated with 3 known domestic terrorist Charles Anderson, and the two drug dealing militia members who tried to blow up the gay play in Indiana.

Puckett actually sold all three out to the FBI, but that didnt earn him enough brownie points with BATF.