Auto-Sear Gets Decorated Vietnam Vet Seven Years In Prison
BY Herschel Smith
6 years, 1 month ago
PLANO (CBSDFW.COM) – A decorated Vietnam War hero from Plano is going to prison for a crime he committed decades ago.
Alfred Pick was sentenced by federal judge District Judge Marcia A. Crone to seven years in prison for a mistake he made nearly 40 years ago — buying a fully automatic gun that’s illegal for citizens to own. The rifle was similar to the one Pick had in the Army where he served as a lieutenant.
“This gun was very rare at that time it was rare to see one so he instantly had a connection to it,” said Pick’s attorney Ryne Sandel. “Over the course of his life he and his wife and collected about 14 weapons, many of them were collectors items.”
Pick lived in Plano’s Air Park neighborhood along with other pilots who enjoy a runway right outside their homes. The 70-year-old Vietnam veteran even served as the president of his homeowners association. Thus, when the ATF raided his home last year it came as a shock to friends like Mark Shackelford.
“He’s always been a good person to me,” Shackelford said.
Shackelford learned later that authorities were looking for and seized an M14 rifle that Pick had bought at a Fort Worth gun show in the early eighties.
“He was a gun collector and it was probably the piece de resistance of his collection… he had shown it to me. I’ve never seen it taken it out of the case,” said Shackelford.
The raid and arrest on Pick’s Plano home came two weeks after his wife of 40 years died of cancer. They were using marijuana, which authorities found and added another criminal charge.
Friends of the vet showed up to support him after he pleaded guilty in a Plano federal courtroom and was sentenced to 87 months in prison by a judge.
“He’s had it all these years never robbed a bank or done anything with it,” said Shackelford. “Somebody that made one mistake and now 50 years later, he’s paying a really big price for it.”
More than 40 years ago, Pick was awarded the military’s third highest honor, the Silver Star, after more than 100 combat missions and for a short time he was a POW.
Factors that his friends and attorney say should have led to a lighter sentence.
“He’s a really remarkable man to be honest,” said Sandel. “I do think it’s unfortunate for a gentleman like Alfred that’s had such an outstanding life to have it mired at the age of 70 by this federal felony.”
“The man is a Silver Star winner, he saved lives, he took care of his wife, he’s been in custody for a year, I would think that when a man turned 70 and is an American hero you don’t destroy the rest of his life for one mistake,” said Shackelford.
Some Vietnam vets in Plano were not as sympathetic.
They said Pick should’ve known better especially since the serial number on the rifle was scratched out.
I say auto-sear rather than machine gun because the only difference between this and the one that you perhaps have in your gun safe if a small piece of metal called an auto-sear.
Hey, he can have one if he’s doing his killing for the FedGov. If not, he’s just a peasant. As for those other Vietnam Vets who weren’t sympathetic, they still belong working go FedGov. That’s where their heart is, so why consort with the peasants?
As for the ATF, boy, I’m glad sure they are Johnny on the spot. I feel better and safer that they have this guy behind bars. I’m just glad they went home safe at the end of their shift.
On October 18, 2018 at 11:23 pm, BRVTVS said:
There is already a petition for Trump to pardon him. https://petitions.whitehouse.gov/petition/pardon-vietnam-war-hero-alfred-pick
On October 18, 2018 at 11:30 pm, BRVTVS said:
“More than 40 years ago, Pick was awarded the military’s third highest honor, the Silver Star, after more than 100 combat missions and for a short time he was a POW.”
He’s a POW again, this time from the war against the Constitution.
Another remark, he was betrayed by someone he trusted. According to http://www.newser.com/story/266092/american-hero-jailed-for-decades-old-gun-buy.html:
“Acting on a tip, agents with the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms, and Explosives found the M14 during a search of Pick’s Plano home last October, two weeks after the death of his wife from cancer, reports the Dallas Morning News.”
On October 19, 2018 at 5:45 am, Duke Norfolk said:
Signed the petition; hope it works.
As I read that I was wondering why they raided him in the first place. So, apparently one of his “friends” ratted on him. Wonderful. And if it wasn’t a supposed friend then he was too free with information then he should have been.
I do wonder how aware he was of the illegality of this weapon. I’d be very paranoid if I owned it. Nobody but my closest, most trustworthy, friend(s) would know of it; if that. Though I know how complacency can creep in over the many years.
On October 19, 2018 at 6:27 am, Talktome said:
Shall not be infringed. In a just county, anyone could get this charge dropped in seconds. Don’t lawyers have to study this stuff to get their sheepskin? Shows that the constitution is truly a matter of convenience for the government, not something to be followed. He’d have got less time if,he shot,his rat fink friend instead.
On October 19, 2018 at 7:28 am, ragman said:
All federal gun laws are unconstitutional. And why exactly is this rifle illegal? Because a group if idiots said so in 1934? I call BS on this whole thing. If someone wants a select fire weapon, so what. The real question is”what are they afraid of”? What is it about these select fire rifles, SMGs or even select fire pistols(Glock anyone?) that gets their panties in a wad? I believe it all comes down to fear. Fear that the Citizens are armed and dangerous and “allowing” us to possess these weapons ratchets up that fear exponentially. Good! They should fear us, not the other way around.
On October 19, 2018 at 8:00 am, Jim Wiseman said:
“He’s always been a good person to me.” He’s still a good person. Don’t confuse him with the bad guys in this story.
On October 19, 2018 at 9:15 am, Greg said:
I posted this comment on another site in reference to a mass shooting but it fits this story as well:
We can dig deep into this murderous event as with a dozen others that are
farcical in their narrative, and get bogged down in the details. This is an intended part of the psy-op.
The details and even the events don’t really matter anymore. The laser like focus must be on the destruction of the state, all it’s institutions and all it’s apparatchiks. It cannot be reformed, repaired or re-legitimized at this point. There is no voting your way out. God help us.
On October 19, 2018 at 9:19 am, Frank Clarke said:
There seems no way to “up-vote” posts, so I’ll just say
@Greg–what he said.
On October 19, 2018 at 9:37 am, June J said:
Shameful behavior by the country he served. Hope Trump will pardon him.
If he was an illegal invader from Central America who stole the weapon and killed someone with it the judge probably would have let him go.
On October 19, 2018 at 9:57 am, RCW said:
Assuming the veteran had the option of a jury trial, it’s surprising he & his mouthpiece chose to have the (possible) sentence rendered by one black-robed usurper precluding jury nullification by his peers.
On October 19, 2018 at 10:31 am, Fred said:
Why would pro gun Trump pardon him? Maybe he had a Bump Stock and will get that tacked on to his sentence. That would mean he had two machine guns. Maybe pro gun Jeff Sessions will call the local DA and make sure that he dies in prison. After all, he smoked a little pot. Got to have that War on Some Drugs. Nobody wants to take your guns away, now do they? These are ALL Republicans or Democrats all the way down to the local arresting cops. Count on it.
On October 19, 2018 at 11:13 am, moe mensale said:
I’ve been trying to find any info on why the ATF raided his home in the first place and ran across this (link below). Seems there’s more involved than a non-registered NFA item. Sexual child abuse, kiddy porn, drug use, making terroristic threats. Mr. Pick was not what he appeared to be.
http://www.machinegunboards.com/forums/index.php?showtopic=22569
On October 19, 2018 at 1:03 pm, Greg said:
Moe mensale,
Maybe he did have a secret life, it’s possible but not probable. We know from vault 7 that anything can be inserted on a connected device and at any rate character assassination through ‘leaks’ is a tried and true technique of the state (atf no less) to solidify their case. Randy Weaver, David Koresh, Judge Kavanaugh, DJ Trump come to mind.
On October 19, 2018 at 5:38 pm, scott s. said:
So a pilot/officer carried an M-14? dunno about that one. An unregistered machine gun with defaced ser no shows up at a gun show? dunno about that one. I can see that unregistered parts or maybe even whole arms are floating around, but I kind of doubt people are just bringing them to gun shows and plopping them down on tables.
I get the problem with needing to pay a tax to “make” something in your own home, but there does seem to be more to this story.
On October 19, 2018 at 7:15 pm, moe mensale said:
@Greg,
While what you say is quite true, the issues involved don’t only relate to what may or may not have been found on some electronic device. It also involves verbal threats made to hospital staff, sexual abuse of his (step?)daughter by both him and his deceased wife and drug use by both him and his deceased wife. None of which have anything to do with electronic devices.
As far as the M14 goes, he had a weapon with a defaced serial number in his possession. Completely irrelevant if it was a full auto or a semi auto firearm. It indicates there’s a “problem” with the firearm.
I’m not condemning the man nor am I waving the flag for him. I’m pointing out that more has now come out about this case that perhaps warrants us not to jump on anyone’s bandwagon too fast at this time. If he’s being railroaded then maybe there’s something that can be done to help him. But if he’s truly guilty of those disgusting accusations then he deserves whatever fate awaits him.
On October 19, 2018 at 7:21 pm, Joshua Smith said:
Can’t allow a man and his wife to use a plant to feel better in old age – go get your fuckin’ opiates, citizen.
Can’t allow a man to use metal to protect his castle. He might get some crazy ideas about individual liberty.
On October 19, 2018 at 7:58 pm, BRVTVS said:
@ Moe
1. If he made a threat to the hospital, something that must happen from time to time when emotionally distraught family members deal with a loss and lash out at the doctors, wouldn’t that be something for the local police or sheriff to handle instead of ATF? I’m not buying that the ATF decided on a raid just because of a report from the hospital.
2. If the child abuse accusations were not what he was charged with, why was that pertinent to the legal proceedings as claimed? I’d think his attorney would sustain objections to such claims.
3. Scott S. asks a good question about the gun show story, but the leaf pile story sounds even more far fetched. I also think the alleged neighbor’s comment is hearsay.
4. The news media is not friendly to gun owners, yet they are giving a much more sympathetic version than that contained in Moe’s link. Since when does the left wing media do this?
On October 19, 2018 at 8:13 pm, Greg said:
@Moe and all,
He might b a pedo and a Looney but truth be told, after a half century on the planet I see the atf as a couple notches lower than pedos and Looney’s in the grand scheme of things. I apologise for my bias and suspect nature
On October 19, 2018 at 10:49 pm, Joshua Smith said:
None of the hearsay or accusations are pertinent to any of the original points. If the man was guilty of other ‘crimes’, he might have been arrested for those at some point.
On October 19, 2018 at 10:57 pm, Joshua Smith said:
Honestly an alternative title for the post could have just been: “Controllers gonna control.”
The only group-think that’s ever worked is the early, minimal group-think that almost idolized individual liberty, rightly recognizing that Christianity is different, believe it or not, because it subordinates the group to the individual (Christ, in Christ).
Controllers gonna control.
On October 20, 2018 at 8:02 am, moe mensale said:
Like I said, I’m not condemning nor condoning Pick. I’m just providing some additional info I found in searching. I haven’t vetted those details. But it seems there’s a dearth of reporting on them from the media – mainstream or otherwise. I haven’t even been able to find any reporting on the original raid and arrest in 2017. I’d certainly like to know why the ATF led the raid. From what I’ve read, the M14 wasn’t the reason for it. That was an Easter egg for them.
Y’all can make excuses for the old guy, condemn the ATF (who I’m not fond of, btw), whatever. I prefer to take certain things with a grain of salt. In some cases, a big grain.
On October 20, 2018 at 8:27 am, Chris Mallory said:
Yeah, Moe, I hear you. But I take anything said by a government employee or the news media with the biggest grain of salt. Government employees, especially law enforcement thugs, are trained liars. They have a history of faking evidence. Never trust any word out of a member of the “justice” system’s mouth.
When were these kiddie diddler events supposed to have happened?
Ranting at hospital staff as your wife dies? Totally understandable.
Using meds to ease pain and provide the energy you need to live your life? None of the government’s freaking business.
Defaced serial number? So freaking what? Unless they can prove the weapon was stolen it was his, he should be able to alter it in any manner he sees fit.
An 87 month sentence for a $200 tax violation? The 8th Amendment should have something to say about that. At most he should have been fined $200 a per year of violation, $8000 in total, but that tax is unconstitutional too.
“Law and order” conservatives and progressive Democrats, just two peas in the same stinking big government pod.
On October 20, 2018 at 11:24 am, Ned said:
@Chris – “At most he should have been fined $200 a per year of violation” — proving what we all know – it’s about control – not about the tax.
On October 20, 2018 at 11:27 am, Ned said:
Guy is supposedly a pervert, but the go after him for a NFA violation.
The pervs will learn this. They can get an auto-sear and place it in a rifle, and in case they get caught diddling the neighbor kid, TPTB will go right after the NFA violation. All else is forgiven.
On October 20, 2018 at 3:28 pm, Biff Flatulate said:
Hope those ATF guys and the Prostituter are proud of putting away a 70+ year old decorated vet who just lost his wife.
On October 20, 2018 at 4:12 pm, moe mensale said:
@Chris,
Ranting at someone is one thing. Supposedly threatening them is another thing entirely.
Unless I’m mistaken, the Gun Control Act of 1968 is still law, whether we like it or not. So, yeah, having a defaced serial number is still a big deal. Unless you built the gun for your own use or it was built prior to 1968.
On October 20, 2018 at 7:38 pm, BRVTVS said:
Here is the official government version.
https://www.justice.gov/usao-edtx/pr/plano-man-sentenced-7-years-firearms-violation
On October 21, 2018 at 9:02 am, Chris Mallory said:
So Moe, do you think government employees who make threats against citizens should be jailed? Including cops who threaten to abuse citizens they are arresting unless the citizen shuts his mouth? What about the threats from other government officials made every day? If this guy’s threats were such a problem, why was he not convicted of making them?
Moe, this nation was founded by men who smuggled drugs and weapons, evaded taxes, rioted and shot cops. Your “still the law” argument is one made by a serf or slave. May your chains rest lightly upon you.
On October 21, 2018 at 2:54 pm, moe mensale said:
@Chris,
When someone starts out with “So Ralph, what do you think…..”, best to have your chest waders on because you know it’s gonna get deep.
Sorry to spoil your fun but I’m not going to play that game with you or anybody else. Don’t try projecting your patriotic rah-rah bullshit onto me because it isn’t going to work. I know where I stand, what I believe in and what I’ll defend. My bona fides don’t come from any website.
On October 21, 2018 at 3:01 pm, moe mensale said:
@BRVTVS,
Here is the official government version.
https://www.justice.gov/usao-edtx/pr/plano-man-sentenced-7-years-firearms-violation
“Agents also discover 14 firearms at Pick’s residence, including a fully automatic machine gun with an obliterated serial number that witnesses later told investigators that Pick had admitted he stole while he served in the military.”
So our decorated war hero turns out to be nothing more than a common thief. Like I said earlier, I prefer to take certain things with a grain of salt. In some cases, a big grain.
On October 22, 2018 at 12:30 am, Georgiaboy61 said:
A Vietnam veteran is found to be in possession of a prohibited piece of machined metal and will spend most, perhaps all, of his remaining years in prison. The Clinton crime family leave a trail of dead bodies, looted funds and destroyed lives in their wake – and receive no punishment whatsoever. Indeed, they have prospered from their life of crime.
This dichotomy illustrates why so many ordinary Americans hold their government in contempt. The rule of law, so-called, is a joke…
On October 22, 2018 at 9:10 am, Papa said:
Who are these witnesses that claim Pick admitted things to them?
On October 22, 2018 at 9:16 am, Papa said:
Reading the Bureau of Potato Chips report, an alleged hospital incident led to a firearms investigation?
Initial link readings lead one to believe it was an auto-sear, then a scratched serial number. Final version is an angry deviate on the loose! Call in the Bureau of Potato Chips!
Low hanging fruit, busy work.
Go find some cartels to bust apart.
On October 22, 2018 at 12:07 pm, BRVTVS said:
“Who are these witnesses that claim Pick admitted things to them?”
I agree. He may be a thief and a child abusing degenerate, but that hasn’t been proven to a jury of his peers.