ATF NEWS: Felon and a Glock Switch

Training and Firearms: How much have you spent this year? Nick Rains and Gregg Kielma Hi Tactical K Training and Firearms friends! Quick question, how much have you spent over the last year on new guns and gear? Most likely either a significant amount or maybe just getting interested. Says firearms instructor Gregg Kielma, $2500. I purchased a new Kimber .45 Covert, AR-15, and new gear. I know Nick has spent more. For me I'm comfortable with all my firearms. I also spent $2000.00 on training courses (yes, I still attend other people’s training courses) to improve my knowledge and skills. Continues Kielma, people that know me, know I train all the time, every day. My laser and smokeless ranges are my best friends when the wet weather arrives here in Florida. If interested rent some time with me on the indoor range. It's not expensive. Need a firearm? Call Kielma who is a FFL, Gunsmith, CCW, Range Safety Officer, Counter The Mass Shooter, Women and Firearm Fundamentals, Marksmanship Instructor, Real Estate Associates Safety, Children and Firearms, and First Aid Fundamentals Instructor to include state certified CPR and Defib training. Sign up today and join the Tactical K Training and Firearms Team! The next question is how much have you spent on improving your skills over the last year? Usually what we spend on training is a lot less than what we spend on new guns and gear. I enjoy new firearms and gear just as much as you do, but I also understand how important it is to continue to improve my knowledge and skills. I'd rather take a stock reliable weapon and skip all the fancy upgrades and use that money for training courses. Start Planning Today. How many training courses would you like to attend within one year...2,4,8,10? Once you know that number, make a list of all the courses you would like to attend. Check the dates of those courses on my website and add them to your calendar. This will help remind you of what your goal is and become a proficient firearms owner. The skills you learn in one of these courses may save your life or someone else's. If you want to train with us, please give me a call. Gregg Kielma 941 737-6956 or 888 880-5444

Former Key West Firefighter Charged with Possession of a Destructive Device and a Short-Barreled Rifle Friday, May 30, 2025 U.S. Attorney's Office, Southern District of Florida MIAMI – A former Key West firefighter made his initial appearance in federal court today to face an indictment charging him with the possession of a destructive device and possession of a short-barreled rifle. According to the indictment, on March 14, Vincent Michael Vega, 38, was in possession of a combination of parts used in converting a device into a destructive device, i.e. an explosive bomb or similar device. Vega was also in possession of a modified semi-automatic rifle, which had a barrel of less than 16 inches. The firearms were not registered to Vega in the National Firearm Registration and Transfer Record, as required under federal law. U.S. Attorney Hayden P. O’Byrne for the Southern District of Florida and acting Special Agent in Charge Gordon Mallory of the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms, and Explosives (ATF), Miami Field Division, made the announcement. ATF Miami is investigating the case. Assistant U.S. Attorney Elizabeth Hannah is prosecuting the case. An indictment is merely an accusation. All defendants are presumed innocent until proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt in a court of law. You may find a copy of this press release (and any updates) on the website of the United States Attorney’s Office for the Southern District of Florida at www.usdoj.gov/usao/fls. Related court documents and information may be found on the website of the District Court for the Southern District of Florida at www.flsd.uscourts.gov or at http://pacer.flsd.uscourts.gov, under case number 25-cr-10023. Contact Public Affairs Unit U.S. Attorney’s Office Southern District of Florida USAFLS.News@usdoj.gov Updated May 30, 2025

Former Gastonia Police Officer Charged With Straw Purchasing A Firearm Appears In Federal Court After Arrest Friday, May 30, 2025 U.S. Attorney's Office, Western District of North Carolina CHARLOTTE, N.C. – A federal indictment was unsealed today in federal court in Charlotte charging Xana Dayanae Dove, a former Gastonia police officer, with straw purchasing a firearm, announced Russ Ferguson, U.S. Attorney for the Western District of North Carolina. Dove, 28, of Charlotte, was arrested on Thursday, and was released on bond following her initial court appearance before U.S. Magistrate Judge David C. Keesler. James C. Barnacle, Jr., Acting Special Agent in Charge of the FBI in North Carolina, and Alicia Jones, Special Agent in Charge of the U.S. Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives (ATF), Charlotte Field Division, join U.S. Attorney Ferguson in making today’s announcement. According to allegations in the indictment, on May 25, 2023, Dove knowingly made a false and fictitious written statement to Shooters Express, a licensed firearms dealer in Belmont, North Carolina, in connection with the acquisition of a Springfield Hellcat Pro, 9mm pistol. The indictment alleges that Dove falsely stated on ATF’s Firearms Transaction Record Form 4473 that she was the actual transferee/buyer of the firearm when the defendant knew this statement was false and fictitious. Dove is charged with making a false statement during the purchase of a firearm and causing a false report during a firearm purchase. If convicted, Dove faces a combined maximum sentence of up to 15 years in prison. A federal district court judge will determine any sentence imposed after considering the U.S. Sentencing Guidelines and other statutory factors. The charges in the indictment are allegations and the defendant is presumed innocent unless and until proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt in a court of law. In making today’s announcement, U.S. Attorney Ferguson commended the FBI and ATF for their work on the investigation, and thanked Homeland Security Investigations, the North Carolina Department of Adult Correction’s Community Supervision, and the Gastonia Police Department for their assistance with Dove’s apprehension. Assistant U.S. Attorney Dana Washington with the U.S. Attorney’s Office in Charlotte is prosecuting the case. Updated May 30, 2025

Mexican National Sentenced to Federal Prison for Firearms Trafficking Tuesday, May 27, 2025 U.S. Attorney's Office, Northern District of Georgia Mexican National Purchased More Than 150 Firearms to Be Smuggled from the United States to Mexico ATLANTA – Edson Aregullin has been sentenced to nearly six years in federal prison for unlawfully purchasing firearms for transport from Georgia to Mexico. “Illegal firearms trafficking wreaks havoc in communities within and outside our district,” said U.S. Attorney Theodore S. Hertzberg. “We are proud to stand alongside our federal law enforcement partners in helping to stem the unlawful flow of firearms to criminals.” “Every illegal firearm that crosses our border becomes a weapon of destruction in the wrong hands,” said Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives Assistant Special Agent in Charge Beau Kolodka. “ATF is committed to shutting down these criminal pipelines with precision and force. Our communities – here and abroad – deserve nothing less.” According to U.S. Attorney Hertzberg, the charges, and other information presented in court: Edson Aregullin conspired with several individuals in Mexico to purchase more than 150 firearms from various firearms dealers in the Northern District of Georgia. Those firearms included 9mm pistols and AR-style rifles. Aregullin’s contacts in Mexico sent him detailed instructions concerning the makes and models of the firearms to buy. Aregullin bought the firearms with funds received from the actual buyer in Mexico and then facilitated transportation of the weapons to Mexico. The guns Areguillin purchased illegally were used to commit violent crimes. For example, on April 21, 2022, Aregullin bought a .223 caliber rifle that law enforcement officers in Guanajuato, Mexico recovered just a few months later after a deadly encounter between municipal police and armed combatants. During the ensuing melee, eight people were killed, and four were injured. On May 22, 2025, United States District Judge Steven D. Grimberg sentenced Edson Aregullin, 47, a Mexican national previously residing in Atlanta, Georgia, to 71 months in prison followed by three years of supervised release. On November 19, 2024, Aregullin pled guilty to Conspiracy to Traffic in Firearms, three counts of Trafficking in Firearms, and three counts of False Statements to a Federal Firearms Licensee. This case was investigated by the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives. Assistant United States Attorney Stephanie Gabay-Smith prosecuted the case. This case is part of Project Safe Neighborhoods (PSN), a program bringing together all levels of law enforcement and the communities they serve to reduce violent crime and gun violence, and to make our neighborhoods safer for everyone. On May 26, 2021, the Department launched a violent crime reduction strategy strengthening PSN based on these core principles: fostering trust and legitimacy in our communities, supporting community-based organizations that help prevent violence from occurring in the first place, setting focused and strategic enforcement priorities, and measuring the results. For further information please contact the U.S. Attorney’s Public Affairs Office at USAGAN.PressEmails@usdoj.gov or (404) 581-6280. The Internet address for the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Northern District of Georgia is http://www.justice.gov/usao-ndga. Updated May 27, 2025

Former Gun Store Employee Pleads Guilty To Trafficking Firearms To Canada Friday, May 23, 2025 U.S. Attorney's Office, Middle District of Florida Tampa, Florida – United States Attorney Gregory W. Kehoe announces that Larry Anthony Brame, II (44, Lakeland) has pleaded guilty to firearms trafficking. Brame faces a maximum penalty of 15 years in federal prison. The sentencing date has not yet been set. According to the plea agreement, between June and August 2023, Brame obtained a Glock 23 .40 caliber pistol and a DPMS Panther Arms AR-15 rifle which he later sold, knowing the purchaser had planned to smuggle the firearms into Canada. Brame purchased the Glock 23 from a firearms store in Clearwater and lied on ATF Form 4473 in connection with that sale. Brame stated on the form that he was the actual transferee when he had obtained the firearm to transfer to another individual who planned to smuggle the firearm to Canada. Further, Brame knew that the purchaser had planned to obliterate the firearms’ serial numbers and smuggle the firearms into Canada illegally. During the sale, Brame suggested ways to smuggle the firearms across the border to avoid law enforcement detection. This case was investigated by the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives. It is being prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorneys David W.A. Chee and Adam W. McCall. This case is part of Project Safe Neighborhoods (PSN), a program bringing together all levels of law enforcement and the communities they serve to reduce violent crime and gun violence, and to make our neighborhoods safer for everyone. On May 26, 2021, the Department launched a violent crime reduction strategy strengthening PSN based on these core principles: fostering trust and legitimacy in our communities, supporting community-based organizations that help prevent violence from occurring in the first place, setting focused and strategic enforcement priorities, and measuring the results. Updated May 23, 2025

Gun Owners Can Be Arrested For Concealed Carrying After Crossing State Lines — But There’s A Solution Opinion by Eireann Van Natta USCCA Firearms Instructor Gregg Kielma's Thoughts: Please know the states you are traveling in and be certain your issuing state has repository with the states to carry a concealed firearm. Currently its incumbent on YOU to understand the laws in states you're traveling or visiting to carry a canceled firearm. Kielma continues, take the classes we offer at Tactical K Training and Firearms . You will get up to date information about CCW. You can always check the USCCA website and look up states you may be traveling in to understand the laws regarding carrying a concealed firearm. The onus is on you to know the laws, not knowing is not an excuse. Stay informed and take a class with Tactical K Training and Firearms. Kielma is 5-star proud USCCA Instructor . Go to www.tacticalktrainingandfirearms.com Please Read Eireann Great Article Below. While Americans acquire training to apply for concealed carry permits, Second Amendment groups are pushing Congress to pass concealed carry reciprocity legislation, so gun owners are not arrested after crossing state lines. The Daily Caller went to the National Rifle Association’s (NRA) gun range in Fairfax, Virginia, and attended Live Fire Instruction’s pistol fundamentals course in May. The summer of 2020 was embroiled in protests and riots after George Floyd’s death, prompting many Americans to purchase firearms for self-defense. Gun purchases skyrocketed that year, and the majority of buyers were women, according to Harvard data. “Over the past five years, a growing number of Americans became first-time gun owners, particularly women, motivated by the desire to protect themselves and their families,” Josh Savani, executive director of NRA General Operations, said in a statement to the Caller. The majority of U.S. gun owners cited “protection” as the primary reason for having a firearm, according to a 2023 Pew Research study. However, Americans can face legal troubles while concealed carrying, even with a government-issued permit. Republicans in Congress are pushing for concealed carry reciprocity with the Constitutional Concealed Carry Reciprocity Act. The bill, introduced by Republican North Carolina Rep. Richard Hudson, would enable individuals to concealed carry across state lines. The legislation would allow an individual with a valid government permit to carry in another state, providing that state also recognizes concealed carry. It was introduced in January 2025 and referred to the Committee on the Judiciary. In Virginia, individuals must take a “competency class” to obtain a concealed carry license, according to Paris. “Other states are way more demanding, and then you have other states that are nothing. So, Virginia is kind of in the middle of you have to do something, but it’s not extreme, right?” she told the Caller. Virginia is a “shall-issue” state, and residents must file permit applications with their county circuit court, according to the United States Concealed Carry Association (USCCA). Residents need to complete a state-approved course. Other states have stricter requirements. New York requires applicants take a safety training course, present four character references, disclose who lives with them and be interviewed by a licensing officer. West Virginia , a constitutional carry state, has no permit requirement. Hudson’s legislation would ensure that law-abiding Americans can exercise their constitutional rights in states that allow concealed carry, Executive Director of the NRA Institute for Legislative Action (NRA-ILA) John Commerford told the Caller. “If you freely travel … today, you will go through states that don’t require a permit,” he said. “You’ll go through states that require a permit but have reciprocity with your current state permit. And then you’ll cross the state line, and you’ll automatically become a felon for conduct that was lawful a mile behind you, but now you cross into New Jersey or New York or Massachusetts, and your right to self-defense went out the window.” Police have arrested gun owners for concealed carrying in states that did not issue their permit. Lloyd Muldrow, a Marine Corps veteran, had a concealed carry permit in Virginia. Muldrow claimed he “disarmed a man who was threatening people” in a pub in Baltimore, Maryland . He was arrested because his permit was not considered valid in Maryland. Muldrow is not the only person to have fallen prey to concealed carry regulations, either. Commerford pointed to the case of Shaneen Allen. She was pulled over in New Jersey and later arrested for carrying a handgun with a Pennsylvania concealed carry permit, NBC 10 reported in 2017. She could have faced years in prison, but Allen was ultimately pardoned by then-Republican New Jersey Gov. Chris Christie. “[The] Second Amendment doesn’t discriminate on zip code,” Commerford emphasized. There are various ways for new gun owners to learn the fundamentals of firearms so they can acquire a concealed carry license if their state of residency requires one. Paris said the two most signifcant takeaways for participants in her class are safety and enjoyment. “Probably the biggest thing from this particular class is safety. You’re not hurting yourself, and you’re not hurting anybody else,” she said. “And then enjoy the sport. Once you love the sport, you’ll come to the gun range and shoot for fun. And then you’ll also be a responsible gun owner, because you’re practicing the sport.” The NRA/USCCA provides several firearms training classes, including courses for women. “As the nation’s leader in firearms safety and training, the NRA/USCCA is a trusted resource for new gun owners from all walks of life who are seeking top-tier instruction and education,” Savani said in a statement to the Caller. “With a nationwide network of over 100,000 certified instructors, NRA/USCCA courses equip gun owners with the skills and confidence to safely handle, store, and maintain their firearms. We’re especially proud to offer programs tailored specifically for women, including our Women on Target® Instructional Shooting Clinics, as well as specialized self-defense and concealed carry training,” he continued. “The USCCA is committed to empowering all law-abiding Americans to exercise their Second Amendment freedoms and the right to self-defense.” Hudson’s bill is not the only legislation making its way through Congress that could dramatically impact gun rights. The House of Representatives passed the One Big Beautiful Bill Act in May, including Section 2 of the Hearing Protection Act. That provision would remove suppressors from the National Firearms Act (NFA). If the legislation is implemented, it would “be the biggest win for gun owners in my generation,” Commerford told the Caller. The NFA mandates that suppressors (otherwise known as “silencers”) be registered with the federal government, according to the NRA. The Hearing Protection Act would also remove the $200 tax, and buyers would be subject to a background check instead of an “onerous federal transfer process,” according to the NRA Hunters’ Leadership Forum. The NFA falls under the Bureau for Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms, and Explosives (ATF), and the Trump admin is taking steps to make the agency less hostile to gun owners. The ATF updated its national policy on federal firearm licensee inspections in May, replacing the Biden administration’s “zero-tolerance” policy. The ATF previously announced that the bureau, along with the DOJ, will be reviewing two other Biden-era firearms policies.

Louisiana House Rejects Firearm Storage Mandate, Advances Two Pro-Gun Measures Story by Mike Jenkins The Louisiana House of Representatives took decisive action on several firearm-related bills Thursday, defeating a measure that would have mandated specific firearm storage practices while approving two bills aimed at expanding gun rights. The two pro-gun bills now head to the State Senate for further consideration. The Senate will now take up both HB 393 and HB 407 for additional policy committee hearings. These two bills join another pro-gun measure, HB 289, already in the Senate and eligible for a committee hearing. Authored by Representative Dewith Carrier, HB 289 is a pro-Protection of Lawful Commerce in Arms Act (PLCAA) bill. It aims to further protect the firearm and ammunition industry from being held liable for the criminal misuse of their legally manufactured and sold products by third parties. HB 289 has been referred to the Senate Judiciary C Committee and could receive a hearing as early as next week. In other legislative activity, SB 101, a pro-gun bill authored by Senator Blake Miguez, is poised for a House floor vote next week. This bill seeks to eliminate some gun-free zones, allowing individuals legally carrying under constitutional carry provisions or with out-of-state concealed carry permits recognized by Louisiana to carry in more locations across the state. Please make a small donation to the Tampa Free Press to help sustain independent journalism. Your contribution enables us to continue delivering high-quality, local, and national news coverage. Connect with us: Follow the Tampa Free Press on Facebook and Twitter for breaking news and updates. Sign up: Subscribe to our free newsletter for a curated selection of top stories delivered straight to your inbox.

Kristi Noem From The....THE BLAZE! Kristi Noem’s bombshell letter hits Harvard where it hurts Owen Anderson May 24, 2025 Ivy League academics mocked traditional values for decades. Now they’re panicking as their utopian vision crumbles — without a savior in sight. Picture a Harvard University faculty lounge: a ring of professors clustered around Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem’s letter, one of them furrowing his brow and murmuring, “Wait, are we the baddies?” Such moments of self-awareness, alas, remain forever just beyond the reach of our academic elite. The very institutions that lecture us daily about our original sin — racism — have, with impressive irony, perfected the art of racial discrimination. We are now at the far end of a 75-year arc that began with William F. Buckley Jr.’s “God and Man at Yale” and ends, aptly, with Harvard losing federal funds over the consequences of its own institutional neglect. The problems Buckley identified — contempt for Christianity and American ideals chief among them — have not only remained; they have metastasized. The very professors who made a career of moral hectoring have, predictably, become the thing they claimed to hate. How did we get here? On Thursday, Noem sent a letter to Harvard informing the school that it had lost its certification for the Student and Exchange Visitor Program. This came after Harvard repeatedly ignored federal requests to disclose statistics related to anti-Semitic activity on campus. According to the letter, Harvard fosters a hostile environment for Jewish students, tolerates pro-Hamas sympathies, and sustains racially discriminatory diversity, equity, and inclusion policies. Sign up for the Blaze newsletter By signing up, you agree to our Privacy Policy and Terms of Use, and agree to receive content that may sometimes include advertisements. You may opt out at any time. Harvard is now learning the lesson that Christian colleges grasped nearly half a century ago: Government money comes with government strings. But why did it take Harvard so long to recognize this? The answer is disarmingly simple — until now, those strings were always in harmony with Harvard’s ideological tune. Federal dollars came bundled with leftist priorities, and thus the elite saw no need to question them. Christian colleges, in contrast, often declined the money to preserve their mission of faithfulness to Scripture. What’s astonishing is that Harvard — the oldest corporation in the Western Hemisphere, chartered in 1650 — still behaves as though it needs government money. Its endowment, by the latest count, stands at more than $53 billion. Yet judging from the panic issuing from the president’s office, one might think bankruptcy was imminent. The reason? DEI is embedded so deeply into Harvard’s research infrastructure — even in the sciences — that stripping funding from DEI-tainted grants strikes at the university’s financial core. In academic circles, panic now masquerades as prophecy. Professors speak as though the world is ending — though, given their long record of failed doomsday predictions about climate catastrophe, one might be forgiven for tuning them out. I remember, early in my career, being told by an administrator that Al Gore’s book was a “road map to the future.” It turned out to be more of a road map to irrelevance. Global warming’s great success was posting more failed predictions than Hal Lindsey. But now the panic is personal. It’s not the planet they fear losing. It’s their world — their imagined utopia of managed speech, redefined morality, and subsidized ideology. That world is slipping through their fingers, and they have nothing left but their performances of alarm, such as reading an indigenous land acknowledgement, confessing their privilege, employee training about infinite genders, and giving a voice to the voiceless. This explains the despair among leftist academics. Even as the broader world shows signs of improvement, economically, culturally, and even morally, they howl louder. Why? Because the improvement is happening without them — or worse, despite them. They believed they were changing the world by sermonizing about “whiteness” and “heteronormativity.” Instead, they became a punch line. They trained a generation of DEI advocates with the promise that there would always be government work, but those jobs disappeared faster than the edibles at a faculty party. This is why Noem’s letter cuts so deeply. It documents, officially and unambiguously, the discriminatory policies of Harvard University. The very professors who made a career of moral hectoring have, predictably, become the thing they claimed to hate. As we turn the page on this chapter of the failed American university, we should remember that Buckley, despite his critique, was ultimately optimistic. He knew that donors, parents, and students were no longer represented by Ivy League ideology, even as those schools embraced collectivism in his day. He believed they would reject the communitarian ideologies of these universities. And they have! Now, as the last gasps of those failed philosophies echo through Harvard Yard, we too have reason to be hopeful. Parents, donors, and students are awakening, and they’re asking for something better. American ideals and Christianity are back on the menu at the schools that matter. Perhaps, at long last, we are remembering what once made Harvard great in the first place: Veritas.

Nevada Man Sentenced to 46 Months in Prison for Threatening U.S. Senators A Las Vegas man who pleaded guilty to threatening a U.S. Senator from Nevada and threatening family members of two United States Senators was sentenced today to over three years in prison followed by three years of supervised release. “The threats against these U.S. Senators and their families were vile, dehumanizing, and shameful,” said Sue J. Bai, head of the National Security Division. “Today’s sentence reflects the Department’s firm resolve to holding accountable those who seek to intimidate and harm our public officials. Such threats of violence have no place in our country.” “With today’s sentencing, the defendant will pay the price for making threats of violence,” said Assistant Director Donald M. Holstead of the FBI’s Counterterrorism Division. “It is unacceptable to threaten public officials or anyone else, and the FBI will work with our law enforcement partners to identify and hold accountable anyone who engages in such illegal activity.” According to court documents, from Oct. 11 to 25, 2023, John Anthony Miller left numerous threatening voicemails at the offices of two U.S. Senators. Miller threatened to assault and murder a U.S. Senator with intent to impede, intimidate, and interfere with U.S. Senator while engaged in the performance of official duties, and with intent to retaliate against the U.S. Senator on account of the performance of official duties. The following week, on Oct. 24 and Oct. 25, Miller threatened to assault and murder a member of the immediate family of two U.S. Senators, with intent to impede, intimidate, and interfere with the U.S. Senators while engaged in the performance of official duties, and with intent to retaliate against the U.S. Senators on account of the performance of official duties. Miller pleaded guilty to one-count of threatening a federal official and two-counts of influencing, impeding, or retaliating against a federal official by threatening a family member. U.S. District Judge Jennifer A. Dorsey presided over the sentencing hearing. The FBI Las Vegas Field Office investigated the case with valuable assistance provided by the Las Vegas Metropolitan Police Department, the U.S. Marshals Service, and the U.S. Capitol Police. Assistant U.S. Attorneys Jacob Operskalski and Daniel Schiess for the District of Nevada prosecuted the case. To report suspected threats or violent acts, contact the FBI at 1-800-CALL-FBI (225-5324) or file an online complaint at www.tips.fbi.gov. If someone is in imminent danger or risk of harm, contact 911 or your local police immediately.