6.5 Years for Machine Gun Possession in San Diego

[CCWFacts]

This was no first timer with that gear in his truck...He's pretty lucky the cops got to him first with what he was planning to do. Guy's like this are scum and make the noble gunowner look bad.

Well-put. This isn't some innocent gun owner with the wrong parts, or someone who is otherwise a good guy and is fixated on having an MG but can't afford one legally. This was a bad situation caught early.

I hope that, sooner or later, there will be a successful post-Heller challenge to the 1986 FOPA / Hughes Amend, but it won't be in some situation like the one in this story.

[Sinixstar]

I really have no sympathy.

Perhaps the media is painting a tainted picture by tying all these other things together (trench coat, ski mask, duct tape) that really have nothing to do with anything. wouldn't surprise me.

Fact is though - as much as we may hate the laws, think they're stupid and irrational, wish they didn't exist, etc - the law is still the law. Break the law, risk the jail time. That's how it goes. It's not a crucifying - it's called "don't commit the crime if you can't do the time".

[stan]

jeez i hate to think....my typical just-in-case loadout for the car when going to unknown places or for unknown times includes at least an NBC mask or two, duct tape, zip ties, the AR, the .308 bolt gun, ammo for each, heavy wool pea coat, some good boots, passport, change of clothes, etc

OMIGAWD IMA SCARY BAD MAN

[tuolumnejim]

I don't care how clean his past is, his future was looking pretty bloody. Ski mask, duct tape, overcoat, and two pipe bombs = something going down. 6.5 years seems awfully short for the unregistered weapons and pipe bombs. Surprised he wasn't dragged to Gitmo by a Bush appointee.

Wow you've got to be a new cop or an obot with that.

[forgiven]

Should of drove off.

[CCWFacts]

I really have no sympathy.

Perhaps the media is painting a tainted picture by tying all these other things together (trench coat, ski mask, duct tape) that really have nothing to do with anything. wouldn't surprise me.

Illegal weapons are dumb and having them is begging for a prison sentence. Ok, some guys get obsessed over them and "need" to have them even though they can't get them legally. And I think MGs and silencers should be legal (treated just the same as any other firearms). So, while it's dumb to do it, I might have sympathy for someone who possesses an MG and there's nothing else in the picture.

As for the ski mask and so on... maybe each of those things could have an explanation. Someone who searched my house and found thousands of rounds of ammo, assault weapons (all correctly registered and legal), contractor trash bags, duct tape, blah blah blah might also be able to paint it a certain way. Everything I have is squeaky-clean legal, and none of it is part of any malicious intent, but it could be portrayed in a negative way.

But possessing pipe bombs changes it. There's no way for an adult to explain having a pipe bomb. Yes, teenage males might have an excuse, but adults do not, and there is no way give the benefit of a doubt to possession of a pipe bomb.

Simple possession of an MG I might be able to sympathize with. Possession of ski masks and duct tape might have some other reasonable explanation. But a pipe bomb can't be justified and it dashes any understanding I might have for the other aspects.

[Sinixstar]

CCWF - understood entirely.

I suppose if it was just the MG - I would be willing to at least hear the guy out. Even still i don't have that much sympathy. If you want it that bad - move to Nevada.

And yea - once you get into the pipebombs and whatnot - clearly somebody is up to no good. I'm surprised he only got 6.5 years. I'm willing to bet that in exchange for such a light sentence, what they're leaving out is that he spilled the beans on where he got all these things.

[B Strong]

Other than the thrill of 'rock n roll' full auto, is there really a practical reason to own a machine gun? The only scenario I can think of is some kind of apocalyptic house to house fighting using explosives and machine guns.
I understand that there are people who collect machine guns, are licensed to do so and have taken many precautions to secure their hobby; I don't have a problem with that but a person doing what the convicted guy was doing...no.

Practically has nothing to do with it.

Even in these times, most every adult not living in poverty is well past "need" and into "want," and there's nothing wrong with that at all.

If you get down to cases, there is no "practical need" for a Rolex watch, an exotic sportscar, or a 10K sq. ft. home (other than octo-mom...)

[B Strong]

CCWF - understood entirely.

I suppose if it was just the MG - I would be willing to at least hear the guy out. Even still i don't have that much sympathy. If you want it that bad - move to Nevada.

And yea - once you get into the pipebombs and whatnot - clearly somebody is up to no good. I'm surprised he only got 6.5 years. I'm willing to bet that in exchange for such a light sentence, what they're leaving out is that he spilled the beans on where he got all these things.

Actually, it's about par for the course on state charges.

[corrupt]

So it's bad that I have a bag of lime and sheets of black plastic in my trunk I'm guessing...

but I don't always have dead hookers in there, so I think I'm good.

[an actual gun]

The pipe bombs were at home... That's a pipe with gun powder in it anyways. Who cares?

Ski mask...who cares?

Duct tape... really, who cares?

"Silencer"? I don't give a hoot. And it was at his house, not with him.

As for ammo, he could have a gazillion rounds of ammo in that car for all I care. He could have ten gazillion rounds at home. He could eat .45 ACPs for breakfast. Why, he could even make a 40 foot tall golem from ammunition in his backyard and use electricity and Jesus magic to bring it to life like some kind of crazy Frankenstein's monster for all I care.

The guns themselves... well, do we even know they were machine guns? Maybe they were "assault weapons" and the article is getting it wrong. Either way, someone else's machine guns, or someone else's anything is really none of my business and I love it that way.

Legalize all of it for all I care... he could do all of the above, marry a donkey and smear himself with orange marmalade while bouncing around on a pogo stick for all I care so long as he doesn't hurt me or my family. I think it's a shame that we now put him in a cage for 6 or 7 years for this. We have to pay for it.

[Merle]

Maybe they weren't his?

Hilliard told officers he removed the firearms from his home for safety reasons after a fight with his fiancee, according to court records.

Depending on the woman and the fight, it may be wise to remove guns, cutlery, dishes and anything which can go ballistic.

[blacksheep]

I don't care how clean his past is, his future was looking pretty bloody. Ski mask, duct tape, overcoat, and two pipe bombs = something going down. 6.5 years seems awfully short for the unregistered weapons and pipe bombs. Surprised he wasn't dragged to Gitmo by a Bush appointee.

You are aware that Bush isn't president anymore ? So easy there tiger.

[Nose Nuggets]

man... the way some of you people jump to conclusions is FRIGHTENING! your worse then most main stream news outlets. and that's saying A LOT!

[Seesm]

Yeah probably right this guy was going to play golf and was just moving the rifles...

I have no problem with the silencer and the MG's but all of it together is supect...