Dozens of illegal guns seized in raid on commodities trader's h...

well he did not seem to be effected by gun laws. That white man was gunned up like Ruby Ridge. I wonder if he planned in invading Waukegan or maybe Wisconsin.

I can not figure out how the cops knew he had so many guns. I figure his own family rated him out to the coppers. Go figure

The gang-bangers are shooting up the streets of Chicago and the state and federal cops are going after the guns of a rich white guy. Why? because rich white guys seldom shoot at arresting officers.

The cops thought it would be a cheap way to restock their own cache. Or else sell them back on the street and pocket the change.

Julye wrote:

I can not figure out how the cops knew he had so many guns. I figure his own family rated him out to the coppers. Go figure

The Illinois state police have a record of every legally puchased firearm in the state since 1994. It's against federal law but that's never bothered our elected officials.

"Stevens'(FOID) card was revoked in 2002 after a domestic battery arrest, a law enforcement source said."

If true, and the weapons were his, see how the ENFORCMENT of LAWS works??!! Now, be that as it may, will he be spending the rest of his life in jail...hmmmm. He has $$$$.

"Sorrano said. If the ammunition turns out to be armor-piercing, that too would be a federal crime, he said."

Uhhhh, that MIGHT be true if it were AP pistol ammo--but there IS NO Federal law that is a blanket prohibition on most types of AP ammo for rifles. Illinois DOES have such a law, however.
And regardless, how is that REALLY very important when the guy could (and maybe SHOULD) be facing many, many, charges that WILL be cut and dried.

I'm a gun collector myself; the fact that he had 85 guns and 50K bullets for them doesn't bother me at all---LOTS OF PEOPLE DO--the fact that he WAS BREAKING THE LAW is the point to take home; As a convicted domestic abuser he could not own so much as a single shotgun shell in this state.

Perhaps he had all those guns just in case he got invaded by Estelle Walgreen's pigs.

Uncle Don wrote:

The gang-bangers are shooting up the streets of Chicago and the state and federal cops are going after the guns of a rich white guy. Why? because rich white guys seldom shoot at arresting officers.

You just nailed it. Won't we all sleep better tonight knowing that this "threat to society" has been caught?

any unmarked, black helicopters in the area?

Do you just think ... now do you people, that this "commodities broker" was in the gun trade? With the steller proformance of his alledged occupation, I suspect his "commodities business" was all a charad for him to deal in a more lucrative trade.

Joe Blow wrote:

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It's important to note that according to the article he's only been CHARGED with battery, and has not yet been convicted. So, he's been stripped of his rights to own guns on the basis of an unproven allegation. This is a footfault of the state's gun laws.

I mis-spoke a bit; and it really doesn't make clear that he was convicted of doemstic battery. The story looks like a rich guy made someone mad and they got the ATF worked up about his weapons. ATF= Always Think Forfeiture (THEIR OWN folks came up with that as an internal slogan). But at the end of the day, if he did not have a FOID, this is Illinois.

Come on people - do the math. You really think he sold enough guns illegally to be a millionaire? He was just a rich guy with a personal gun collection. That reminds me, I better renew my FOID card.

J Seville wrote:

im suprised they put this comment board back on this article, it seems when too many people have an opinion against the anti-gun liberal tribune they remove the topic. funny stuff.

Tribune "anti-gun liberal" - now that's a funny joke. This paper has not endorsed a Democrat in a major election in 30 years!

You right-wingers live in fantasy land!

It's amazing to me how quickly people jump to defend this guy's gun ownership rights without first questioning why a wealthy man in one of the safest, wealthiest neighborhoods in the WORLD is stockpiling dozens of weapons, some of which are of very scary caliber. Most of you cry that they should respect his rights, and that the police went after him because he was white. I can only imagine if they raided the home of a black man who had the same weapons arsenal. Would the same people react in blind defense and cite the 2nd amendment, or would they instantly assume criminal intentions? We all know the answer. And before you make the generalizing comment that most gang bangers, etc. are black, you may wish to note that many of the wealthiest illegal drug and gun runners are indeed white. Where do you think the small-time black dealers and gang bangers get their major supplies? Many a shadowy figure lurks in the some of the nicest suburbs. It's a reality that many choose not to acknowledge.

Uncle Don wrote:

The gang-bangers are shooting up the streets of Chicago and the state and federal cops are going after the guns of a rich white guy. Why? because rich white guys seldom shoot at arresting officers.

This is dumb. Who would have so many guns if they wouldn't want to use them sometime. Stop generalizing racially..

Joe Blow wrote:

The Trib has become a tabloid. What does this man's occupation and the size of his home have to do with the alleged firearms violations? It's telling that the Trib refuses to identify the race of criminal suspects but sees fit to describe in detail this man's business and house. The "journalists" who authored this trash also speculate that IF the ammunition and guns turn out to be illegal (armor piercing or fully automatic respectively)-- for which there's NO evidence at this point -- THEN there would (of course) be more charges. This is defamation. That's like saying IF it turns out the he raped is daughter, THEN there would be charges of rape.

What did you say when they raided Tank Johnson's house? Did you support him?? I remeber people referring to him as a thug, etc. How is this guy any different? skin color? Plus he has MORE guns and rounds..

Its amazing how 85 illegal guns and 50,000 rounds of ammunition were seized and most of you think he is just a collector...Folks, he is a children and wife beater and potentially a very dangerous killer who has possibly threaten his family and has been apprehended. Had this been in a differnt part of the city and he wasn't white, I'm sure your comments would have a much different tone and the perpetrator would have been charged responsible for all of Chicago crimes.

Normal wrote:

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This is dumb. Who would have so many guns if they wouldn't want to use them sometime. Stop generalizing racially..

You are not normal.

Uncle Don wrote:

The gang-bangers are shooting up the streets of Chicago and the state and federal cops are going after the guns of a rich white guy. Why? because rich white guys seldom shoot at arresting officers.

Maybe he supply the gang bangers with guns..

He probably *WAS* just a 'collector'. Was he a spousal/domestic abuser? It sounds like that might be so. It sounds like he had lots of money and thought the laws that revoked his FOID card wouldn't apply to him and his 'toy' collection.

Was he some kind of illegal 'gun dealer'--selling to gangs and such--not likely.

Was he a danger to someone? It sounds like he liked to push people around--and SOMEONE was mad enough to clue in the authorities about his illegal hardware.

Lots of people have MASSIVE gun collections--the late Walter Payton had a HUGE collection of guns--but you never heard of him beating his loved ones either. It takes all kinds...

So, no I don't think anyone is saying this guy sounds like a nice guy from the story--but now he's 'safely within the system' and will get his day in court.