By Sharyn L. Decker
Lewis County Sirens news reporter
A 68-year-old Olympia man was arrested yesterday for illegal gun sales following an investigation that began with an undercover federal agent purchasing a revolver from him at a gun show in Centralia.
David Devenny, who sometimes called himself “Handlebar Dave”, was arrested after selling firearms to a convicted felon and a second person knowing they were prohibited from possessing firearms, according to the U.S. Attorney’ Office.
Between October 2009 and this week, informants and undercover agents with the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives have bought approximately 10 firearms from Devenny at various gun shows in the Western Washington and at his residence, according to the complaint filed in U.S. District Court.
Prosecutors allege in the 12-page document he bought and sold at shows without keeping records and in a manner that did not comport with the requirements for private collection sales.
Devenny allegedly sold a gun at a Puyallup gun show that was used a week later to kill Seattle Police Officer Timothy Brenton on Halloween 2009. He reportedly commented to the undercover agent, he didn’t know who he sold it to because he did not keep records.
The special agent in charge of the ATF Seattle field office called the alleged offenses thoughtless acts that needlessly jeopardize innocent lives in a news release yesterday.
“We stand at the front line against violence, and are wholeheartedly committed to pursuing those individuals who would disregard existing federal firearms laws and selfishly feed the illegal supply of guns that impact out streets and communities,” Special Agent in Charge Kelvin Crenshaw said in a written statement.
Devenny is not charged in connection with the sale of the gun that killed Brenton and is not charged with failing to obtain a federal firearms dealer license.
He is charged with two counts of sale of a firearm to a prohibited person.
In the first count, he allegedly sold a Glock .40 caliber pistol and a Norinko SKS rifle knowing and having reasonable cause to believe the buyer was subject to a court order restraining him from harassing, stalking and threatening an intimate partner.
In the second count, he allegedly sold a Wilkerson 9 mm pistol to a person knowing and having reasonable cause to believe the buyer had been convicted of a crime punishable by imprisonment for a term exceeding one year.
Both the felon and the person with the domestic violence conviction were working with law enforcement at the time of the purchases in February and November of this year, according to the U.S. Attorney’s Office. The sales were made at Devenny’s residence on the 9600 block of Highway 99 Southeast in Olympia.
ATF agents seized 42 guns and $32,000 cash when Devenny was arrested. Devenny was scheduled to appear in U.S. District Court in Tacoma yesterday afternoon.
According to the complaint, Devenny first came to the attention of law enforcement in May 2009 while officers reviewed gun sales activities at gun shows throughout Western Washington.
The forms from Devenny’s purchases from federal firearms licensed dealers showed he purchased 16 handguns in a five month period last year. Prosecutors allege the guns were then sold in private sales with no further records or background checks.
On October 17, 2009, ATF agents began an undercover operation at a gun show at the Southwest Washington Fairgrounds in Centralia.
The complaint alleges the following about Devenny:
An undercover agent approached Devenny’s display of about 15 handguns and eight long guns for sale. During the conversation, Devenny explained he had been buying and selling guns for about seven years and made “decent money” doing it.
The agent bought a Taurus .44 caliber revolver for $395. Devenny asked if the agent was a Washington resident, but did not ask to see identification.
In January of this year, the agent visited Devenny at his home, making two more purchases. The agent told Devenny about a friend who wanted to buy a gun, but couldn’t since he had a fight with his wife and indicated the friend had a domestic violence conviction.
When the agent asked if he could bring the friend by, Devenny allegedly responded with “What I don’t know, I don’t care about. Uh, I don’t want somebody coming down here on their own.” and “It’s don’t ask, don’t tell. If I don’t know, then there’s nothing wrong with it.”
On February 5, the “friend” bought two guns from Devenny and the undercover agent bought one more.
When they left, Devenny reminded the “friend” “If it comes along that someone catches you and raises hell with you, you don’t know where those came from, just keep that in mind.”
On Monday, an undercover agent brought a “buddy” he had told Devenny had problems with the law to Devenny’s residence, after Devenny allegedly told him, “Bring a lot of money and get my attention.”
They bought more firearms after the agent reminded the “buddy” he didn’t have a lot of a lot of places he could buy guns, and added, “It’s not like you can go to a gun store and do this legally.” Devenny reportedly then stated, “Then you don’t know where they came from.”
Devenny told the agent he was going out of business, as he was burned out a little.
He said his last gun show was in Centralia a couple months ago.
Tags: By Sharyn L. Decker, news reporter
Not to mention a total lack of alliteration as well.
It’s because of people with no consonance like this that ruins it for the rest of us, and have laws passed that forbid selling our next door neighbor a gun to hunt with.