Secret Recordings In Gunwalker Case
BY Herschel Smith
13 years, 3 months ago
From CBS News:
CBS News has obtained secretly recorded conversations that raise questions as to whether some evidence is being withheld in the murder of a Border Patrol agent.
The tapes were recorded approximately mid-March 2011 by the primary gun dealer cooperating with ATF in its “Fast and Furious” operation: Andre Howard, owner of Lone Wolf Trading Company in Glendale, Arizona. He’s talking with the lead case ATF case agent Hope MacAllister …
The tapes have been turned over to Congressional investigators and the Inspector General …
The conversations refer to a third weapon recovered at the murder scene of Border Patrol Agent Brian Terry …
Court records have previously only mentioned two weapons: Romanian WASR “AK-47 type” assault rifles. Both were allegedly sold to suspects who were under ATF’s watch as part of Fast and Furious.
The third weapon found at the scene of Brian Terry’s death is an SKS. But that a third weapon was found is not the main point here. The transcript follows (CBS has the audio).
Agent: Well there was two.
Dealer: There’s three weapons.
Agent: There’s three weapons.
Dealer: I know that.
Agent: And yes, there’s serial numbers for all three.
Dealer: That’s correct.
Agent: Two of them came from this store.
Dealer: I understand that.
Agent: There’s an SKS that I don’t think came from…. Dallas or Texas or something like that.
Dealer: I know. talking about the AK’s
Agent: The two AK’s came from this store.
Dealer: I know that.
Agent: Ok.
Dealer: I did the Goddamned trace
Agent: Third weapon is the SKS has nothing to do with it.
Dealer: That didn’t come from me.
The main point is that heretofore, the ATF only reported two weapons at the scene of Terry’s death. This recording is evidence that not only were there three weapons, the ATF knew it and sought to cover it up. As they say, why cover it up unless there is something wrong?
On September 19, 2011 at 4:33 pm, Herschel Smith said:
Also note the problematic investigation being conducted. The CBS article notes:
Then, the sources say for some reason the Inspector General passed the tapes along to the U.S. Attorney’s Office in Arizona: a subject in the investigation. It’s unclear why the Inspector General, who is supposed to investigate independently, would turn over evidence to an entity that is itself under investigation. The Inspector General’s office had no immediate comment.