This isn’t going to help shut up Bloomberg:
NEW YORK (AP) — A South Carolina gun dealer who sued New York’s mayor for saying his shop engaged in “criminal behavior,” has asked judges in two states to put his case on hold so he can fight an unrelated criminal charge.
Licensed firearms dealer Larry Mickalis was indicted earlier this month on a charge that he illegally sold a rifle to an ex-convict two years ago at his pawn shop in Summerville, S.C.
The charge was a surprise development in the merchant’s ongoing legal battle with New York City, and his attorneys have now asked courts to freeze the civil litigation until the criminal case is resolved.
Recall that ATF was steamed that Bloomberg’s antics interfered with several ongoing federal investigations.  I’m guessing this was one of them. Either way, this isn’t a good development.
Of course, the criminal charges could just be a favor for bloomberg’s people.
According to the story, it was a straw purchase made by a woman on behalf of a felon, not a sale from the dealer to the felon. I’m guessing that said felon got apprehended and they traced the firearm sale to the woman. Did they come back two years later and lean on her to say something that incriminates the FFL?
I’m always suspicious of conveniently timed criminal indictments, especially when someone politically influential is going to reap a significant benefit from it.
I wouldn’t dismiss the allegation that the charge is bogus. That’s for a jury to decide. But the grand jury apparently felt good enough about the evidence to hand down an indictment in the matter, and the AUSA felt good enough about taking it before them.
We know the agency’s reputation, so foul play can’t be ruled out, but I’m not going to start believing that everything by the ATF is automatically illegitimate.