Lethal Passage (38 page)

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Authors: Erik Larson

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42
One partner was … 
Atlanta Journal-Constitution
, May 21, 1989, A-9.
43
Two others … US-PEG, 12, 13, 14.
44
Morgan was … Florida vs. Robert Morgan, Judgment and sentence, 20th Judicial Circuit of Florida. Case no. 79–86, June 2, 1980.
45
Leibolt, according to … US-PEG, 28.
46
“It became available …” Earl Taylor, interview.
47
At one point … Thomas W. Stokes, interview.
48
By the autumn … RPB Inc., minutes. “Special Meeting of Shareholders,” December 28, 1981; RPB Inc., minutes. “Meeting of Stockholders,” December 14, 1981; RPB Inc., minutes. “Special Meeting of Board of Directors,” January 6, 1982.
49
Two weeks later … RPB Inc., minutes. “Special Meeting of Shareholders,” December 28, 1981.
50
The minutes of … RPB Inc., minutes. “Special Meeting of Board of Directors,” January 20, 1982.
51
ATF, meanwhile … Edward M. Owen, interview.
52
Any gun assembled … ATF, Ruling 82–8. Federal Firearms Regulations, 1988–89.
53
The threat … Earl Taylor, interview.
54
June proved … RPB Inc., Statement of income, six months ended June 30, 1982; Statement of income, seven months ended July 31, 1982.
55
They succeeded … Edward M. Owen, interview.
56
The company also … Edward M. Owen, interview; S.W. Daniel Inc., advertisement, “Beat the Heat.”
57
The Daniels knew … Earl Taylor, interview.
58
Wayne Daniel may … ATF-CR1, 2.
59
Ledbetter and Motes … Peter Urrea, ATF affidavit in US-SWD.
60
Wayne Daniel went … ATF-CR1, 3.
61
Ledbetter and Motes founded … Ibid., 3–4.
62
Details of this … Peter Urrea, ATF affidavit in US-SWD; Keith W. Dunkel, ATF affidavit in US-SWD.
63
On April 27 … Keith W. Dunkel, ATF affidavit in US-SWD; Peter Urrea, affidavit in US-SWD.
64
On April 30 … Urrea, Ibid.
65
Urrea also … Ibid.
66
On July 19 … Keith W. Dunkel, ATF affidavit in US-SWD, 10–11.
67
The bureau used … ATF-CR2, 1.
68
In formal court … “SW Daniel Inc.’s Response to Government’s Motion to Amend the Conditions of Release,” US-SWD.
69
All in all … Keith Dunkel, testimony. US-SWD, February 10, 1986.
70
Only four buyers … “Government’s Motion to Amend the Conditions of Release,” US-SWD.
71
An ATF agent … ATF-CR2.
72
Agents also … Ibid., 8–9.
73
Another investigation … ATF-CR1, 4.
74
In Ohio … Ibid., 4–5; George Burton, statement to ATF. US-SWD, April 27, 1984.
75
The growing list … ATF-CR1, 6, 7, 14; Michael Molinari, ATF affidavit. US-SWD, May 17, 1985.
76
“There are literally …” Brian C. Leighton, “Government’s Motion to Amend the Conditions of Release,” US-SWD.
77
The Daniels pleaded … Wayne Daniel, affidavit. ET-SP.
78
On May 1 … Complaint, judgment. Exhibit A, ET-SP.
79
In a handwritten … Exhibit C, ET-SP.
80
“It wasn’t …” Earl Taylor, interview.
81
They introduced … Northwest Distributing advertisement.
82
The company’s latest … Maryland Handgun Roster Board, “Determination on Petition: Ladies’ Home Companion,” Docket 90148, July 16, 1991.
83
The trigger … Ibid., 1–2.
84
The board ruled … Ibid., 5.
85
An official … Confidential source, interview.
86
“Shit no …” Earl Taylor, interview.
87
“You put a gun …” Leonard Supenski, testimony. WF-SE.
88
“Well, I should say …” Leonard Supenski, interview.

Chapter Six: Nicholas

1
Nicholas did come … NES, 47–50, 70–72.
2
Nicholas, who … Samuel M. Marino, testimony. VA-NE, 7–8.
3
Marino said … Ibid., 8.
4
Just as Nicholas left … Ibid., 8.
5
“All of a sudden …” Ibid., 9.
6
“At first …” Ibid., 9
7
He saw Nicholas … Ibid., 40.
8
“In a situation …” Ibid., 39
9
“I’ve got something …” Ibid., 10–11.
10
Susan Allen, watching … Susan Allen, testimony. VA-NE, 50.
11
“What is it …” Samuel M. Marino, testimony. VA-NE, 31.
12

Give it to me …
” Susan Allen, testimony. VA-NE, 51.
13
“Here it is …” Ibid., 51.
14
Victims of … Det. Donald Adams, interview.
15
Marino held … Samuel M. Marino, testimony. VA-NE, 12.

Chapter Seven: The Purchase

1
Nonetheless, Guns Unlimited … Motion for judgment, WF-SE.
2
One peaceful weekend … Curtis Williams, testimony. US-CW.
3
“He wanted …” Ibid., 6.
4
“Man,” he said … Ibid., 34.
5
“My husband …” Ibid., 9.
6
“After that …” Ibid., 10.
7
“They got in …” Ibid., 12–13.
8
Nicholas reached … Ibid., 14–15.
9
What Massengill … Tony D. Massengill, deposition. WF-SE, July 16, 1990, 38, 46–48, 116.
10
This clerk … Christopher Hartwig, testimony. WF-SE, January 15, 1992, 5, 14.
11
Williams testified … Curtis Williams, testimony. US-CW, 14.
12
Asked if anything … Ibid., 15.
13
(Raymond Rowley … Raymond Rowley, testimony. US-CW, 21.
14
“The only thing …” Curtis Williams, Testimony. US-CW, 17.
15
Massengill, in a … Tony D. Massengill, deposition. WF-SE, July 16, 1990, 16.
16
In an interview … Tony D. Massengill, interview.
17
Once outside … Curtis Williams, testimony. US-CW, 19.
18
“What would ever …” Robert W. Wiechering. US-CW, 42.

Chapter Eight: The Dealer

1
A Baltimore police … Confidential source, Baltimore Police Department, interview.
2
A thick printout … Printout of Virginia Federal Firearms Licensees. ATF, May 12, 1992.
3
One medical examiner … Allen M. Jones, et. al. “Suicidal Contact Gunshot Wounds to the Head with .38 Special Glaser Safety Slug Ammunition.
Journal of Forensic Sciences
32:6 (November 1987): 1604–21.
4
The Dicks learned … J. Michael Dick, interview.
5
The domestic gun industry … 
New York Times
, March 20, 1992, D1;
New York Times
, March 8, 1992, 1.
6
Financial statements filed … SNUG Enterprises, Bankruptcy File. U.S. Bankruptcy Court, Norfolk, Virginia, 91–22192-T.
7
At its peak … Ibid; See also photograph,
Virginian-Pilot
, December 19, 1988, A2.
8
In a deposition, Christopher … Christopher Hartwig, deposition. WF-SE, September 12, 1991, 38–40.
9
“Is that something …” Ibid., 39.
10
“I can’t lie …” Ibid., 39–40.
11
“Guns Unlimited is …” J. Michael Dick, interview.
12
“Whatever you want …” Harry Boone, deposition. WF-SE, September 12, 1991, 16.
13
“It’s good for nothing …” Christopher Hartwig, deposition. WF-SE, September 12, 1991, 32.
14
“Your blacks …” Ibid., 32.
15
“I hate to use …” J. Michael Dick, interview.
16
Just as Nicholas … 
Norfolk Virginian-Pilot
, January 18, 1992, A1.
17
In August 1991 … “United States’ Position on Defendant’s Role in the Offense,” US-AF, January 6, 1992.
18
All the dealer … Title 27, Code of Federal Regulations, Part 178: Commerce in Firearms and Ammunition, 178.126a; “Report of Multiple Sale or Other Disposition of Pistols and Revolvers,” ATF form 3310.4; Jack Killorin, interview.
19
In 1992, ATF … 
Atlanta Journal-Constitution
, February 14, 1993, H1.
20
Even Batman … Ibid., H4.
21
In the early 1970s … Ibid., H4.
22
Before it took effect … Ibid., H4.
23
At eight-forty … Criminal complaint. US-AF, September 8, 1991.
24
Requizo, the license … 
Norfolk Virginian-Pilot
, January 18, 1992, A1.
25
Cooper said … John Cooper, sentencing hearing. US-AF, January 9, 1992.
26
Mike Dick was … J. Michael Dick, interview.
27
He made his first … Indictment. US-DA, January 14, 1991;
Wall Street Journal
, February 28, 1992, 1.
28
Moreover, she sold … J. Michael Dick, interview.
29
When ATF learned … John DePollo, testimony. US-DA, February 28, 1991.
30
A few days after … Criminal complaint/ATF affidavit. US-DA.
31
Again the form … John DePollo, testimony. US-DA, February 28, 1991.
32
A few days later … Ibid.
33
Four days later … Ibid.
34
Dick explained … J. Michael Dick, interview.
35
Federal law grants … ATF, “Federal Firearms Licensee Information,” ATF P5300.15., January 1, 1989.
36
“Yes, they tell …” J. Michael Dick, interview.
37
“Well, actually …” Ibid.
38
On March 20, 1991 … J. Michael Dick, testimony. PA-JH, 963–97.
39
Yet from July … John W. Thompson, Jr., testimony. PA-JH, 1135–39.
40
Dick remembered … J. Michael Dick, interview.
41
He had never … J. Michael Dick, testimony. PA-JH, 997.
42
The executives … Judge O’Keefe, opinion. Court of Common Pleas, Philadelphia. PA-JH, January 21, 1993.
43
Robert Dowe hadn’t … Robert Dowe, testimony. PA-JH, 1055–61.
44
Foy, who weighed … Dr. James Lewis, testimony. PA-JH, 1051.
45
Leonard Allen … Leonard Allen, testimony. PA-JH, 946.
46
“No. I did …” J. Michael Dick, interview.
47
“The object of …” Ibid.
48
“I would say …” Raymond Rowley, interview.
49
“That guy is …” Leonard Supenski, interview.

Chapter Nine: Nicholas

1
“Now you …” Susan Allen, testimony. VA-NE, February 28, 1989, 51.
2
At first … Ibid., 52.
3
“I hit …” Ibid., 52.
4
“It was not …” Det. Donald Adams, interview.
5
“My God …” Susan Allen, testimony. VA-NE, 52.
6
Two things … Samuel M. Marino, testimony. VA-NE, 43.
7
Nicholas knew … NES, 61–62.
8
“I saw Mr. Marino …” Maurice H. Matteson, testimony. VA-NE, 120.
9
“I saw Nicholas …” Ibid., 122.
10
Nicholas had seen … NES, 62.
11
“There were chairs …” (Billy Cutter), testimony. VA-NE, 173.
12
“Billy …” Ibid.
13
“I know …” NES, 87.
14
“Billy Cutter …” Maurice H. Matteson, testimony. VA-NE, 123.

Chapter Ten: The Enforcers

1
In a 1981 congressional … G. R. Dickerson, testimony. Dismantling of the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco and Firearms hearing, Subcommittee on Crime, Committee on the Judiciary, House of Representatives, April 30, 1981, 26.

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