ST CHARLES, Mo. — A St. Charles County man has been indicted and accused of allegedly selling firearms without a license.
According to a press release from Sayler Fleming with the Office of the U.S. Attorney Eastern District of Missouri, Harry Trueblood, 68, was indicted by a jury in St. Louis on May 10. Two days later, he entered a not-guilty plea for an unlicensed dealer charge.
Trueblood allegedly sold unlicensed firearms between Jan. 1, 2021, through May 10, 2023, according to court documents.
The Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives documented that 15 guns originally purchased from Trueblood had been recovered in different criminal investigations. He bought at least 70 firearms between Jan. 4, 2021, and March 31, 2022.
According to agents with the ATF, Trueblood also continuously sold firearms at gun shows, where background checks are not required for sales from private sellers.
Trueblood allegedly sold a gun to an undercover ATF agent, who acted as a convicted felon at one show. He told the agent that police had called him about two guns used in crimes, the affidavit said. He also sold armor-piercing ammunition to shoppers.
He received a cease-and-desist letter from the ATF, which warned him of the agency's investigation, but he continued to sell them, according to a court affidavit.
If convicted, Trueblood could face up to five years in prison, a $250,000 fine or both.
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