Federal Firearms Dealer Sentenced to 121 Months Imprisonment

RICHARD S. HARTUNIAN, United States Attorney, Northern District of New York, WILBERT L. PLUMMER, Acting Special Agent in Charge of the New York Field Division of the U.S. Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA), and DELANO A. REID, Acting Special Agent in Charge of the New York Field Division of the U.S. Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms, and Explosives (ATF), announces that a Federal Firearms Licensee (FFL) named JOHN RUMBLE (56, of Ogdensburg, New York), was sentenced to 121 months imprisonment by the Honorable David N. Hurd, in Utica, New York, for several federal firearms related offenses.

On June 2, 2011, a U.S. District Court jury in Utica convicted RUMBLE, of the following offenses: one count of conspiracy to make false statements in his FFL records; two counts of sale of a firearm to an illegal drug user; two counts of making false statements in his FFL records; and one count of being an unlawful drug user in possession of 150 firearms that traveled in interstate commerce. The jury also rendered a special verdict wherein they decided that RUMBLE must forfeit his 150 firearms to the federal government for destruction.

This investigation was initiated in the Spring of 2008 when the Saint Lawrence County Drug Task Force initiated a state court authorized wiretap on the telephone of an individual believed to be involved in drug trafficking. The wiretap investigation revealed that this individual and others were involved in the smuggling of high grade marijuana from Canada into the United States. On October 8, 2008, a state search warrant was executed at this individual’s residence. During the search warrant, officers located approximately 100 pounds of marijuana, 8 ounces of cocaine, and 72 firearms. Further investigation revealed that two of the seventy two firearms traced back to RUMBLE.

On April 2, 2009, agents executed a federal search warrant at RUMBLE’s residence located at 305 King Street, Ogdensburg, New York. During the execution of the search warrant, ATF seized RUMBLE’s FFL records and 174 firearms. ATF also obtained a court authorized hair sample from RUMBLE which tested positive for marijuana. During an audit and investigation of RUMBLE’s FFL records, ATF discovered that RUMBLE knowingly facilitated the straw-sale of three firearms to people that were prohibited from possessing firearms by making false entries in his FFL records to hide and conceal the identity of the actual purchaser of the firearms. Throughout this entire investigation, law enforcement officers seized approximately 305 firearms.

This prosecution resulted from an investigation conducted by the following agencies: New York State Police Troop B Gun Investigation Unit; United States Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA); United States Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms, and Explosives (ATF); Saint Lawrence County District Attorney’s Office; Saint Lawrence County Sheriff’s Department; U.S. Border Patrol; and Ogdensburg Police Department. The case was prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Ransom P. Reynolds. Further questions may be directed to Executive Assistant U.S. Attorney John Duncan at (315) 448–0672.