On December 18 Judicial Watch announced its acquisition of crime scene photos from a July 2013 gang assault with a DOJ “supplied” Fast & Furious AK-47.
The assault took place in Phoenix, Arizona, and “inside sources” immediately tipped Judicial Watch off to ties between the AK-47 and the DOJ’s Fast & Furious operation.
Judicial Watch filed a “public records lawsuit” on October 2, 2014 to get the photographs.
The photographs show the AK-47 “abandoned in suspect vehicle,” the serial number of the weapon, the blood-stained interior of the apartment where the assault occurred, blood-stained cash “where the victim was shot,” and a clear photo of the AK-47 once secured by law enforcement, among other things.
With the photos in hand, Judicial Watch sent an October 16 letter to Deputy Attorney General James Cole, Senator Charles Grassley (R-IA), and Representative Darrell Issa (R-CA) saying:
Based on the serial number [1977DX1654] from the police report obtained by Judicial Watch and documents obtained during our Fast and Furious investigation, we can confirm that the assault rifle recovered in the vehicle on July 30, 2013, was purchased by Sean Christopher Stewart. Stewart plead guilty to firearms trafficking charges resulting from his involvement with Operation Fast and Furious… Stewart purchased this particular firearm on December 8, 2009, one of 40 he purchased that day while under ATF surveillance. [Emphasis in original]
Fast and furious was a DOJ/ATF -sponsored operation in which approximately 2,500 firearms–including numerous assault rifles and long range, .50 cal rifles–were sold to straw buyers with the intent of smuggling the guns across the Mexican border. The DOJ/ATF not only allowed the straw purchases to happen but also attempted to trace the guns into Mexico with the ubiquitous purpose of catching cartel members receiving the guns.
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