Gun I sold was stolen!

[Guest Rem_700]

Wasn't sure were to put this,but since its a long gun,figure i'd put it here.Anyway,the Marlin 1894 that I had for sale,and i sold it to a guy out of cookeville last week.This morning a detective comes to my door and askes if I was Mr.Hall and I said yes.He said that a detective from Overton Co had ran the serial numbers off of the gun I had on the internet and said that it came back stolen.I was dumbfounded as my mom bought this gun for me 5 years ago from a pawn shop.They ran a background check on her and everything.Nothing was said.Im just worried that im gonna go to jail or be charged with something.I had no idea it was stolen,seems like the pawn shop could get in trouble for not checking the serial number on it first.So I gave the detective the serial number that I had written down and the guys phone numbers I sold it too.He said he would call me back later today and let me know if the gun is for sure listed as stolen.

[xd shooter]

Did you call the Overton Co. Sheriff department to see if they acually sent someone to come see you? How about a name of the Detective?

The could have been trying to get you to give them the gun. Ya never know.

Hope it all comes out well for you.

[Guest Astra900]

Lesson to us all, NEVER post a pic of a gun from the Serial # side!

You should have told him you sold it to a stranger at the last gun show. If by some insane stretch of the law you do get hammered for it, you've just implicated another person. I'm NOT flaming you for it, but if it were me, I wouldn't want to take down one of you guys with me.

I really hope it all works out. Don't plea or admit to anything. You did nothing wrong, if there was a background check on it from an FFL, it was a totally legal sale....on your end anyway. Don't take any from them on that!

[glockster157]

True story, Back in 1999 I was still in the gun business. A guy I knew from church traded me a Colt Commander at our shop. I ran the number thru TICs no problem. I sell the gun and it goes thru TICS again, no problem. I get it traded back to me, this time I don't run it as I have already ran it twice. I sell the gun again, run thru TICS, no problem. The guy gets checked in a traffic stop 3 months later and the Montgomery County deputy runs the gun...STOLEN!!!!. I had to give the guy back his money. I call the reporting department which is Montgomery county and talk to a detective to find out why it took 9 months or so for this gun to show up stolen. He tells me that they enter the SN's into the NICS stolen database when they get time and sometimes it is a while before they get around to it. Yeah a while...like 8 to 9 months. Anyways, I have no recourse, I lose my money and his advice to me was to stiff the guy they pulled over since he was a blank, blankety blank anyways.

So, my point is that the stolen report may not have made it into the system if the report was filed in some podunk little county or where the officers give it a real low priority.

[Guest Rem_700]

I did already sell the gun,I gave them the buyers phone number.

[Guest slothful1]

The pawn shop should still have the 4473, shouldn't they?

[Magiccarpetrides]

wow that sucks man....hope everything works out for you.

[323ssplt]

Something sounds awefully wrong with this cops story. I doubt that they have the time to cruise internet sites and take down serial numbers and run them.

I agree with XD SHOOTER call the police station and see if they actually sent an offiver to your house. Something really smells like to me.

[Guest Rem_700]

I took your advise and called the sheriffs office and dec.Ed Boyd came to my house.He said that my gun was not reported stolen!I am so relieved.After reviewing the photos I used to sell the gun,you could not see the serial numbers,no matter which way you looked at it or zoomed in on it.So I think the Overton Co Detective lied to the Detective that came to my house this mornig.All of this is a little odd,I will be sleeping with one had on my Walther for a few weeks anyhow.

[323ssplt]

yeh, something is VERY fishy. the detective that came to your house said it wasn't stolen, or who.....

[xd shooter]

Congrats. Glad that worked.

Let this be a lesson to all!

[Guest Bronker]

I'm just curious too, did you sell to someone here on this site? Something indeed is strange.

[Guest Rem_700]

What I can't figure out is why would the Overton Co detective say that he ran the serial numbers off of it.You couldn't see them in the pics that I took.

[323ssplt]

The only reason I'm so wary about this, is because a similar situation happened with a very dear friend about ten years ago. A cop, who was a friend at the time but turned out to be a scumbag, told my friend that the new pistol he had purchased FTF was stolen. The cop said he would get it taken care of and took the pistol. Later he said he couldn't "take care of it" so he ditched the gun in the river, so he wouldn't "have to arrest my friend". My buddy was relieved, but once he got over his initial arrogance he was pissed!! We know that that dirty cop kept the damned thing, we could just never prove it. He's dead now, so may his soul rest where it belongs. It just sucks that a very SMALL minority of cops will use their power to do bad things.

[Guest Rem_700]

I'm just curious too, did you sell to someone here on this site? Something indeed is strange.

No, golsn.com....

[323ssplt]

How did the cop say he got your name and address as well?

[TripleDigitRide]

For reasons which I can't discuss here, I wouldn't trust the Overton County Sheriff's Department for anything. I had an experience with them that couldn't have been more shady.

[Guest m&pc9]

Are you sure the first guy was a detective it sounds like it could be a scam. Some one impersonating a LEO could come and say it was stolen and take it. If I though they were real I would give it to them. Sounds like it would work on a bunch of people.

[xd shooter]

Are you sure the first guy was a detective it sounds like it could be a scam. Some one impersonating a LEO could come and say it was stolen and take it. If I though they were real I would give it to them. Sounds like it would work on a bunch of people.

Exactly!

[Guest Rem_700]

I had no idea who it was.Didn't remember his name. So I called the Sheriffs dept and described the detective to them and they said oh that must be Ed Boyd.So they transfered me and he rememberd right away.Im guessing that they could have traced my IP address or searchd the phone numbers i listed.I gave both home and cell numbers.

[Guest m&pc9]

This just seems odd, with you having possession of it for 5 years. And then they look on the internet and run the numbers.

[DavidD]

I'm with others here, Something is awry. Do you know the person you sold it to very well?

[Guest justme]

I did already sell the gun,I gave them the buyers phone number.

So I went to your closed ad where the gun you had listed is still accessible..I have to admit--I can't find the serial number on the firearm even after enlarging it to a ginormous size.

Did you contact the Sheriffs office in question and actually verify that the person who came to you was actually employed by that office?

Just because someone has a badge and claims they are the police does not necessarily make them so. Did you verify the persons information prior to telling him anything, and did you have a lawyer present to protect your rights? Remember--anything you say to the police can be used against you, including what you write on here can be used against you but nothing you tell them can ever be used to help you.

never trust ANYTHING they tell you at face value...verify everything.

Addendum: having now read through the entire thread, I have to say that something simply stinks about this whole affair. For one--how did the Overton Co. Sheriffs Office get your contact information? Just a suggestion--it is worth checking into in my opinion--just to see how they obtained your contact information.

Two--did you obtain the name of the detective involved from Overton County? And did you contact him and ask him why he made the claim your firearm was stolen when it was not?

Three, did you find out if you have sufficient reason to file a complaint with the TBI in regards to this incident?

Suggestions: Change your home and mobile telephone numbers if they now have it, and if your home phone is listed--have it delisted--because something just stinks.

Edited February 28, 2009 by justme

[I_Like_Pie]

I would call the BATF personally and see what they have to say about it. See if they have an agent assigned to your area and when the next time they will be around. If not any other reason than CYA. Make the system work for you if at all possible.

Something is really fishy and it may have happened may times to other folks as well.

[Guest mikedwood]

I think I would quit posting guns on LSN. It's like Craigslist with guns.