Thread: Arrests target illegal firearms

Arrests target illegal firearms

Tue, Sep 18, 2007
By EMILY STRANGER

The Brunswick News

Federal and local police are doing their part to keep guns out of the possession of those who are not supposed to have them in the Golden Isles.

In separate incidents in recent days, a man was indicted in federal court for buying guns for an illegal alien, and a convicted Florida felon was arrested by city police after they allegedly found a high-powered rifle in his possession.

In federal court, Tom Wiley Smith of Brunswick was indicted for allegedly supplying 11 firearms to an illegal immigrant in Glynn County. He was indicted Sept. 12 by a federal grand jury in Brunswick.

It is against the law for iIlegal immigrants to possess or purchase firearms in the United States. Guns confiscated, all of which were purchased from pawn shops in January, include .357 caliber revolver and two Cobra .380-caliber pistols.

At the Glynn County Detention Center, Antonio Dewayne Tobler, 20, who served time in prison on a felony charge, remained behind bars Monday after city police allegedly found him in possession of a .50-caliber rifle while walking on Ellis Street Friday afternoon. During World War II, high-powered .50-caliber rifles were used by snipers and to pierce light armor.

The federal grand jury indicted Smith on four charges of making a false statement in the acquisition of a firearm, five counts of transfer of a firearm to an illegal alien, and one count of possession of a firearm with an obliterated serial number.

Smith allegedly purchased six of the 11 guns at four different pawn shops in Glynn and Camden counties. Several of the purchases were made within days of each other, court documents show.
According to the indictment, Smith purchased them for Jesus Bonilla Gutierrez, aka. "Chewie" and "Monze."

Gutierrez is an illegal immigrant.

Smith also allegedly supplied Gutierrez with five additional firearms before April 26, according to the indictments. The documents did not indicate if Smith already owned the guns prior to selling them to Gutierrez or if he purchased them in out-of-state pawn shops for Gutierrez.

The guns included two Raven .25-caliber pistols, one Smith and Wesson .357 caliber revolver, a Marlin .22-caliber rifle, and a Lorcin .25-caliber pistol. The serial number had been removed from the Lorcin pistol, according to the documents.

In the city, Brunswick police say they stopped Antonio Tobler after he walked from behind a house in the 1900 block of Ellis Street and found the .50-caliber wrapped in a red t-shirt. The butt of the gun was sticking out, police said.

Tobler, who lives in McIntyre Court with his mother, gave police several stories before telling them his real name and address. He has numerous misdemeanor convictions and one felony conviction of burglary. All prior incidents occurred in Florida, police said.

Tobler was charged with making a false report and giving false information, carrying a concealed weapon, and possession of a firearm by a convicted felon.

In its indictment against Tom Wiley Smith of Brunswick, the federal government alleges Smith purchased guns from a number of pawn shops in Glynn and Camden counties.

* Jan. 8, Mr. Pawn Depot, Brunswick; purchased were two Raven .25-caliber pistols

* Jan. 10, Mr. Pawn Depot, Brunswick; purchased one Raven .25-caliber pistol

* Jan. 22, T and C Pawn World, St. Marys; purchased two Cobra .380-caliber pistols

* Jan. 23, Coastal Loan and Jewelry, Kingsland; Lorcin .25-caliber pistol.

http://www.thebrunswicknews.com/open_ac ... 421420.php

March 21, 2008

Pair get prison for gun scheme


By Teresa Stepzinski,
The Times-Union


BRUNSWICK - A federal judge sentenced a Glynn County man and an illegal immigrant from Mexico to prison Thursday for illegally buying guns in a scheme that duped several local gun dealers last year.

Senior U.S. District Judge Anthony Alaimo sentenced Tom Willey Smith, 62, of Longleaf Drive, to two years in prison on four counts of making false statements in the acquisition of a firearm. He was also sentenced to three years' probation and ordered to perform 150 hours of community service upon release from prison.

Smith's attorney, Victoria Renee Weiss, asked the judge to show leniency to Smith, who reads at a third-grade level and cannot write except to sign his name.

"He [Smith] told me if he'd realized that he was breaking the law he wouldn't have done it," Weiss said.

Smith had pleaded guilty to the charges Dec. 12. In exchange, federal prosecutors agreed to dismiss seven other firearm charges against Smith.

Smith's co-defendant, Jesus Bonilla Gutierrez, got a longer prison sentence despite his attorney's protest that the government is treating Gutierrez unfairly and more harshly because he is an illegal immigrant.

With no prior criminal record, Gutierrez, 26, of Waverly, should be treated the same as Smith, his attorney, Roy Boyd Jr., told Alaimo.

Assistant U.S. Attorney Jeff Buerstatte argued a tougher sentence was warranted for Gutierrez.

"He was in this country illegally getting guns illegally for other illegal aliens," said Buerstatte. One of the guns had the serial number removed to make it untraceable, he said.

The judge sentenced Gutierrez to 30 months in prison for four counts of making false statements in the acquisition of a firearm and one count of being an illegal alien in possession of a firearm. He ordered Gutierrez turned over to immigration officials for deportation upon his release.

Gutierrez also had pleaded guilty on Dec. 12. The government dismissed five other firearm charges against him, according to the agreement.

During their plea hearing, Smith and Gutierrez each admitted to illegally buying 11 firearms in January 2007 from pawnshops in Glynn and Camden counties.

Smith testified Gutierrez told him which guns to buy, drove him to the pawnshops and filled out the federal forms to buy the guns. Gutierrez took care of the documents, Smith testified, because he can't read or write.

Outside the pawnshops, Gutierrez gave him $25 in exchange for the guns, Smith testified.

Gutierrez corroborated Smith's account of the illegal gun purchases.

Smith's claims to pawnshop employees that the guns were for him were false. With a needlessly bandaged hand, Smith told the gun dealers that because of his injury Gutierrez was doing the paperwork for him. However, Smith signed the firearm forms to complete each purchase, the investigation showed.

Agents uncovered the scheme when Smith's purchase of six guns in two weeks raised suspicions.

Both Smith and Gutierrez will serve at least 85 percent of their prison terms before becoming eligible for release because there is no federal parole.

Because of his illegal status, Gutierrez has been jailed since his arrest in the case.

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