The Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives (ATF) is currently under investigation for allegedly raiding an Oklahoma gun seller’s home without notifying Oklahoma’s Pushmataha County Sheriff’s Office.
According to The Gun Writer, the ATF notified Oklahoma resident Russell Fincher, age 52, in April that the organization wanted to conduct an inspection of his home. Fincher, who has had a Federal Firearm License for roughly three years, sells guns at various gun shows. In addition to selling guns, Fincher works as a Baptist pastor and a high school history teacher.
After conducting two different inspections of Fincher’s home, the ATF reportedly contacted him again on June 16 before seven vehicles and a dozen ATF agents with AR-15s and tactical gear approached his home.
“It was like the Trump raid. They called me out onto my deck and handcuffed me. My son was there and saw the whole thing. He’s 13 years old,” Fincher said. “They held me on the porch for about an hour. I was surrounded by agents. One by one, they yelled at me about what I was doing.”
Fincher reportedly was forced by the ATF to sign over his Federal Firearm License, after which the ATF seized many of his most expensive guns located at his home.
“They took more than 50 of my personal guns,” Fincher said. “I asked them why, and they said they were ‘evidence.’ I’d estimate they took $50,000 to $60,000 worth of guns.”
In August, Oklahoma State Rep. Justin Humphrey sent a letter to the governor, the attorney general, the Pushmataha County sheriff, and other law enforcement agencies, asking them to pursue an investigation into the alleged ATF raid on Fincher’s home.
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In his letter, Humphrey said he was contacted by Fincher in July regarding the troubling ATF raid.
“Mr. Fincher detailed that numerous armed ATF agents stormed into his home, pointing automatic
weapons at both him and his 13-year-old son.” Humphrey wrote. “They handcuffed Mr. Fincher, yelled at him, and used intimidating tactics to terrify both him and his son.”
“If this report is true, and I have every reason to believe it is, then it would appear the ATF’s actions constitute a gross misuse and abuse of their federal police powers,” Humphrey added.
According to The Gun Writer, Oklahoma’s Pushmataha County Sheriff’s Office is currently investigating the ATF for allegedly failing to warn the sheriff’s office that it would be carrying out an armed raid at Fincher’s house.
“We weren’t apprised of anything,” Undersheriff Dustin Bray said. “We are a Second Amendment County, and we are going to protect our citizens here. We are not going to enforce any gun law or rule that violates the constitution.”
