Show-Me State Times

A man from St. Charles County, Missouri, Harry Trueblood, has been sentenced for illegally selling hundreds of guns. Trueblood, 69, was sentenced to five years of probation and 200 hours of community service. He is also now a convicted felon and is prohibited from possessing or selling firearms.

Trueblood pleaded guilty to being an unlicensed firearms dealer and admitted to selling firearms at gun shows without a license. Assistant U.S. Attorney Jennifer Szczucinski stated in court that Trueblood purposely avoided obtaining a Federal Firearms License despite being warned by ATF agents.

Bernard Hansen, Special Agent in Charge of ATF’s Kansas City Field Division, emphasized the impact of illegal firearm sales on communities, stating, “Trueblood was linked to selling over 250 firearms without a Federal Firearms License and over 40 crime guns were traced back to him."

Guns sold illegally by Trueblood were linked to various crimes, including a homicide, a suicide, and shootings involving felons and a juvenile. Szczucinski mentioned a case where an individual with severe mental health issues purchased a firearm from Trueblood after being turned away from gun stores.

The ATF initiated an investigation into Trueblood after guns recovered from unrelated crimes were traced back to him. Despite receiving a cease and desist letter from the ATF ordering him to stop dealing firearms without a license, Trueblood continued his illegal sales.

The case was prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney Jennifer Szczucinski. The ATF's Crime Gun Intelligence Center played a crucial role in identifying Trueblood and disrupting the illegal transfer of firearms, ultimately contributing to neighborhood safety.