BATF targeted mentally handicapped people in stings to boost arrest numbers.

[monkeywrenching]

Originally Posted by wutitiz

March 14 AFF
This sounds like a ridiculously bad 'B' action flick, but it actually took place, and your tax dollars paid for it. During 2012-2013, the BATF opened undercover storefront operations in 6 cities around the country. One was in Milwaukee, Wisconsin, and the BATF dubbed it 'operation Fearless Distributing.' They recruited a man named Chauncey Wright, whose IQ is 54. He nearly drowned as an infant and suffered brain damage. The BATF paid him to distribute flyers about their storefront operation. They asked him to round up as many guns and drugs as he could, and bring them to the store, which he did. According to experts cited in the article, 'individuals with traumatic brain injuries are easily manipulated because they are eager to be accepted by a group.'

The BATF had Wright arrested, and he was charged with multiple federal felonies. The judge gave him house arrest due to his mental incapacity.
Backfire | A Journal Sentinel Watchdog Update - Brain-damaged man used in botched ATF sting gets house arrest

The pattern was repeated around the country. In Portland, Oregon, the BATF opened "Squid's Smoke Shop," and persuaded a mentally disabled teenager to be tattooed on the neck with the store logo, which was a squid smoking a marijuana cigaraette. A federal judge later ordered the BATF to pay for tattoo removal operations.

In Wichita, KS, the BATF induced a man with IQ in the 50's to violate gun laws. He was prosecuted for over one hundred felony counts. Guidelines suggested 10-12 years, but the judge gave him a break due to his incapacity, giving him only three years behind bars.

In Albuquerque, NM, the BATF's "Jokerz Traderz' storefront targeted a man named Guillermo Medel who had suffered brain damage when hit by a drunk driver at age 7. He wound up getting 8 years in prison. A federal judge dismissed charges against another victim of the 'Jokerz Traderz' op, on the grounds that the man had "extensive psychiatric history."

What was the point of all this? According to a BATF agent speaking anonymously, the BATF wanted large numbers of arrests, in order to press Congress for more funding.

The whole thing came to light only because the BATF badly damaged the building they had leased for the op in Milwaukee, and the owner asked for compensation. The BATF threatened him with arrest for threatening a federal agent, so he backed off and went to the Milwaukee Journal Sentinal, which did an extensive investigation of 'Fearless Distributing,' and of similar ops across the country.
A Journal Sentinel Watchdog Report - ATF's Milwaukee sting operation marred by mistakes, failures

even more reason to get rid of the rogue agency also know f-troop. you do know why the batfe also known as f-troop has agents in it?

because they did not have enough intelligence or any college degrees to get themselves into the FBI or any other credible agency.

[wutitiz]

Originally Posted by greywar

What exactly do you want them to say? You're misrepresenting them, and looking for a confrontation. This has been covered before in this forum, and the people on the left are just as perturbed by it as you seem to be. Except some folks went on about how "if you do the crime you do the time", and those folks weren't the "CD lib posters".

I missed this post when first posted, but will reply now. Apparently it took 5 months to get one lone liberal to respond.

What exactly did I misrepresent, and what is the evidence that I'm "looking for a confrontation?" The only confrontation I want is for liberals to confront the reality of the federal gov't that they have created. I want them to explain how they are ok with sending retarded kids off to federal prison so that an agency in DC can get a bigger budget and suck in more federal dollars.

Where was this covered before? I searched P&OC for 'Fearless Distributing' (BATF's code name for the operation) and this is the only thread that comes up. Link, or you made it up.

This is nothing but a troll post, the only reason it hasn't scrolled off is your constant bumping of it to the top.

First, calling me a troll (in effect) is a personal attack and violation of the TOS. Do it again and I will report it. Second, the only reason I had to bump my own thread is that the usual suspect lib posters were too flummoxed to respond.