I havent heard anything lately about the 4 ILL state patrol cops that got busted with  illegal M16. I know there was a pettiton signed by most the MO and ILL marshalls, cheifs and other LE to keep them from going to jail but what happened , anyone know?

i hadn't even heard about this...enlighten me plz...i'm in the LE field and would like to know...i'll do some checkin to see what i can find out

M16 is a  machine gun? PLEASE feel free to correct me but I thought it was a full-auto rifle.

It was all over the news here in St louis and in the post dispatch. Its been discussed on many sites but i cant seem to find anything on it right now. I know what a Machinegun is, as well as a auto rifle and a SMG. I  own all of the above LEGALLY. But in the paper as they dont know the difference it stated a full auto machinegun, a M4. I will try and dig up some of the links.

Officials rally around Illinois officers facing weapons charges
By Joel Currier
ST. LOUIS POST-DISPATCH
02/07/2006

FAIRVIEW HEIGHTS

Ten years in prison would be excessive punishment for three state police officers accused on weapons charges, according to a letter issued Tuesday by top police officials and two state senators.

The letter was signed by 10 current police chiefs, two county sheriffs, the two senators and a retired police chief. The three troopers were charged last month with violating federal firearms regulations by having illegal submachine guns at their homes.

"We do not see how the citizens are made safer by placing these troopers in jail," the letter states. "Discipline may absolutely be in order; however, to federally prosecute them and with a possible jail term is not the answer."

The officers are Special Agent John Yard, 36, of Collinsville; Sgt. James V. Vest, 39, of O'Fallon; and Senior Master Trooper Greg Mugge, 51, of Jerseyville.

The charge of illegal possession of an automatic weapon carries a maximum penalty of 10 years in prison and a $250,000 fine, although federal guidelines suggest substantially less punishment for people with no previous criminal background.

"We just feel that what the government is doing with these troopers is excessive," said Belleville Police Chief David Ruebhausen, who wrote, signed and distributed the letter. "We don't feel that the punishment fits the alleged crime."

Under federal firearms laws, police officers cannot own fully automatic weapons, which can fire a steady stream of bullets with one squeeze of a trigger.

U.S. Attorney Ed McNally, based in Fairview Heights, responded with a prepared statement Tuesday night, saying it is unusual for public officials and law enforcement officials to weigh in on criminal cases and that the case will be decided by a federal court. The criticisms in the letter should be directed to Congress, because prison sentences for the alleged crimes were set by Congress, the statement said.

Those who put their names on the letter also included Alton Police Chief Chris Sullivan, Granite City Police Chief Richard Miller, Collinsville Police Chief Scott Williams, Sauget Police Chief Patrick Delaney, Waterloo Police Chief Joe Brauer, Columbia Police Chief Joe Edwards, Wood River Police Chief William Webber, East Alton Police Chief Darren Carlton and Smithton Police Chief Brian Vielweber.

Also signing the letter were retired Belleville Police Chief Terry Delaney, Madison County Sheriff Robert Hertz, Bond County Sheriff Jeff Brown and state senators Bill Haine, D-Alton, and Frank Watson, R-Greenville.


St. Louis Dispatch, cops with unregistered NFA

Heres one of the articles, tryin to find out more about it.

Heres another one
http://www.stltoday.com/stltoday/news/stories.nsf/metroeast/story/CE104606608F30CE8625710F001F71D2?OpenDocument&highlight=2%2C%22troopers%22

Heres the last one i can find right now


MICHAEL SHAW
St. Louis Post-Dispatch

The charges:

Three officers and a doctor are accused of having submachine guns

What's next:

All four face prosecution in federal court in East St. Louis.

---

Three Illinois State Police officers, who could legally handle submachine guns for their jobs, have been charged with violating federal firearms regulations for allegedly having them at home, officials announced Tuesday.

The troopers -- two assigned to District 11 at Collinsville and one to District 18 at Litchfield -- were placed on paid leave while their cases are handled in federal court in East St. Louis.

Also charged is a doctor, formerly of Glen Carbon, who allegedly lent one of the weapons to a trooper who said he test-fired it and gave it back.

There is no allegation that the men trafficked in illicit weapons or committed any crime beyond illegally possessing them. Authorities would not say what launched the investigation or how federal agents found out about the weapons.

U.S. Attorney Ed McNally said the fact that three defendants are law enforcement officers does not matter.

"Teddy Roosevelt said, 'No man is above the law and no man below it,'" McNally said at a news conference. "If the United States obtains sufficient evidence that the law has been violated, whether by a law enforcement officer or any other public official or a private person, they will be prosecuted."

One of the defendants, Special Agent John Yard, 36, of Collinsville, had recently worked with federal agents investigating public corruption at East St. Louis City Hall. He's a nine-year veteran of the State Police.

Charges say Yard admitted borrowing a Colt AR-15 rifle that could be switched to fire in a fully automatic mode.

According to court documents, Dr. Harold Griffiths, 69, of Spaulding, Ill., formerly of Glen Carbon, told federal agents the gun had been converted into a fully automatic weapon. Spaulding is near Springfield.

Griffiths was among those charged in indictments Jan. 11 that were unsealed Tuesday.

The others are Sgt. James V. Vest, 39, of O'Fallon, who like Yard works in the Collinsville district, and Senior Master Trooper Greg Mugge, 51, of Jerseyville, who is assigned to Litchfield. Both admitted keeping rifles altered for automatic fire in their homes, according to the affidavits.

Vest, a 16-year State Police veteran, said he bought his M-4/M-16 rifle in 1998 in California, according to court documents. Mugge, with 21 years in the department, told officials he bought his AR-15 rifle from a now-deceased licensed dealer in Harrisburg, Ill., in the late 1970s or early '80s.

Under federal firearms laws, not even police officers can own weapons that can fire a steady stream of bullets with one squeeze of the trigger.

All four entered pleas of not guilty Tuesday and were released without having to post bail. None of them could be reached for comment.

They had agreed to be interviewed by agents from the U.S. Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives, according to affidavits filed with the charges, and all consented to searches of their homes. The three weapons cited in the charges were all seized.

The charge of illegal possession of an automatic weapon carries a maximum penalty of 10 years in prison and a $250,000 fine, although federal guidelines suggest substantially less punishment for people with no previous criminal background.

A State Police spokesman said that if the troopers are convicted, a merit board would decide the fate of their jobs.

State Police Director Larry Trent attended the news conference and described his accused employees as "three otherwise good officers with good records."

"I'm very disappointed and I deeply regret the judgment used by three of our officers," Trent said.

Quoted: M16 is a  machine gun? PLEASE feel free to correct me but I thought it was a full-auto rifle.

Legally anything that fires more than once with a pull of the trigger is a machine gun.

I think they should all do prison time.  If we can't exercise our 2nd amendment rights, neither can they.

By ATF terms yes it is a MACHINEGUN.

I cant beleive no one in ILL knew about this going on.

Three Illinois Officers Charged For Illegal Gun Ownership

Updated: March 3rd, 2006 03:05 PM EDT


MICHAEL SHAW
St. Louis Post-Dispatch

The charges:

Three officers and a doctor are accused of having submachine guns

What's next:

All four face prosecution in federal court in East St. Louis.

---

Three Illinois State Police officers, who could legally handle submachine guns for their jobs, have been charged with violating federal firearms regulations for allegedly having them at home, officials announced Tuesday.

The troopers -- two assigned to District 11 at Collinsville and one to District 18 at Litchfield -- were placed on paid leave while their cases are handled in federal court in East St. Louis.

Also charged is a doctor, formerly of Glen Carbon, who allegedly lent one of the weapons to a trooper who said he test-fired it and gave it back.

There is no allegation that the men trafficked in illicit weapons or committed any crime beyond illegally possessing them. Authorities would not say what launched the investigation or how federal agents found out about the weapons.

U.S. Attorney Ed McNally said the fact that three defendants are law enforcement officers does not matter.

"Teddy Roosevelt said, 'No man is above the law and no man below it,'" McNally said at a news conference. "If the United States obtains sufficient evidence that the law has been violated, whether by a law enforcement officer or any other public official or a private person, they will be prosecuted."

One of the defendants, Special Agent John Yard, 36, of Collinsville, had recently worked with federal agents investigating public corruption at East St. Louis City Hall. He's a nine-year veteran of the State Police.

Charges say Yard admitted borrowing a Colt AR-15 rifle that could be switched to fire in a fully automatic mode.

According to court documents, Dr. Harold Griffiths, 69, of Spaulding, Ill., formerly of Glen Carbon, told federal agents the gun had been converted into a fully automatic weapon. Spaulding is near Springfield.

Griffiths was among those charged in indictments Jan. 11 that were unsealed Tuesday.

The others are Sgt. James V. Vest, 39, of O'Fallon, who like Yard works in the Collinsville district, and Senior Master Trooper Greg Mugge, 51, of Jerseyville, who is assigned to Litchfield. Both admitted keeping rifles altered for automatic fire in their homes, according to the affidavits.

Vest, a 16-year State Police veteran, said he bought his M-4/M-16 rifle in 1998 in California, according to court documents. Mugge, with 21 years in the department, told officials he bought his AR-15 rifle from a now-deceased licensed dealer in Harrisburg, Ill., in the late 1970s or early '80s.

Under federal firearms laws, not even police officers can own weapons that can fire a steady stream of bullets with one squeeze of the trigger.

All four entered pleas of not guilty Tuesday and were released without having to post bail. None of them could be reached for comment.

They had agreed to be interviewed by agents from the U.S. Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives, according to affidavits filed with the charges, and all consented to searches of their homes. The three weapons cited in the charges were all seized.

The charge of illegal possession of an automatic weapon carries a maximum penalty of 10 years in prison and a $250,000 fine, although federal guidelines suggest substantially less punishment for people with no previous criminal background.

A State Police spokesman said that if the troopers are convicted, a merit board would decide the fate of their jobs.

State Police Director Larry Trent attended the news conference and described his accused employees as "three otherwise good officers with good records."

"I'm very disappointed and I deeply regret the judgment used by three of our officers," Trent said.

I never saw a topic on it here, and everyone who posted said they hadnt heard of it but what has happened as of yet with it, do you know?

Thanks for the links. Im surprised it didnt go away. Im glad also it didnt. Im not anti LE, i used to be LE untill hurt in altercation, but LE should be held to a higher standard. I do think the petition was BS.

+1000
Well said on all of it.

Quoted: Quoted: Thanks for the links. Im surprised it didnt go away. Im glad also it didnt. Im not anti LE, i used to be LE untill hurt in altercation, but LE should be held to a higher standard. I do think the petition was BS. Well, if it was in most any other state I'm betting it would have gone away.  Illinois will throw ANYONE overboard over firearms violations.  Anyone.   As I posted in one of the first threads, I hate to see anyone nailed for something that shouldn't be illegal.   That said, it disgusts me to see the petition and effort to help those involved, knowing you or I would obviously receive no such consideration.  Hypocrisy at its finest.

You may remember that a local cop in another state was prosecuted for selling LE only high cap Glock mags to his buddies. Bottom line is the Feds will charge anyone!

hey   i want a job like that , bring your class 3 toys to work



no man above the law - no man below it ! !

Who squealed on them?

Ratted each other out huh, wheres the pride in that? I wanna know how come there wasnt a petition from all the LE to get the DR off the charges as well? LE wonders why people have such a low opinion of LE anymore, they can be just as if not more crooked then the rest. I hope they get prosecuted to the fullest and spend the max time in prison with THEIR KIND!

Do  like I say not as I do. If it was  the average Joe, you would not be suspended from your job, you would be in JAIL! Nobody would write any letters. These same officials would be on the news saying how evil you are ,and that you must live by a school ,and you should be put away forever.