Latest Headlines
- ‘It’s A Blessing’ – Volunteers Build Wheelchair Ramp For Molino Veteran
- Cantonment Man Charged With Stealing Metal From Church During Service Hours
- Undocumented Farm Worker, 45, Gets 25 Years For Attempted Sexual Battery Of 11-Year Old In Walnut Hill
- Bratt, Byrneville Elementary Students Create Winning EREC Meeting Promo Posters
- Make-A-Wish Grants Wish For Girl, 4, With A Barbie Camper
- Fields Of Faith: Community Worship Service Held At Northview High
- Missing Child Alert Issued For Alabama Teen
- 63 New Members Inducted Into Northview High Beta Club
- Blue Wahoos School Shuckers On Education Day
- 2-Month-Old Passes Away Following Escambia County Wreck
In Depth: Feds Seize Guns From ‘Tutors’ Near School, No Charges Filed
April 27, 2012
The investigation is continuing today into two armed men stopped with multiple weapons in Flomaton, Ala. Wednesday and then again Thursday near an Escambia County, Fla., middle school. The men had raised great suspicion among law enforcement after making claims that they were on their way to offer tutoring services at the middle school, prompting a security alert at area schools.
Federal Agents Take Over
The two men were reportedly spotted by law enforcement at a motel on New Warrington Road, about a mile from Warrington Middle School. When they pulled out of the motel parking lot onto New Warrington Road just before 9 a.m. Thursday, deputies conducted an “investigative stop”, according to Sgt. Mike Ward, spokesperson for the Escambia County Sheriff’s Office. When they found multiple weapons in the vehicle, Escambia deputies called the federal Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives.
ATF agents took over the investigation and seized the weapons, including four guns, from the men, ages 35 and 39. They also found computer printed maps with directions to Warrington Middle School.
After a lengthy search of their rental 2012 Chevrolet Suburban, the men were allowed to continue on their way. The names of the men were not released because they were not charged with any crime.
School District Responds
When Escambia County Superintendent Malcom Thomas learned about the Flomaton traffic stop, the weapons and the claims that the men were headed to Warrington Middle, immediate steps were taken to ensure the safety of students at Warrington and every other school in the district.
School resource officers, principals and other key district employees were quickly made aware of the situation. They were provided with information from law enforcement, as well as unpublished NorthEscambia.com photographs showing additional details about the vehicle, including a tag number, and photographs of the men.
Thomas said a school district protective services employee responded to the New Warrington Road traffic stop, and a trespass order was issued against the men forbidding them from visiting any public school in the district.
“If they so much as set foot on any one of our campuses, they will be arrested for trespassing,” he said.
There were no security incidents Thursday at any Escambia County school.
Tutoring Company CEO “Flabbergasted” By Incident
Both men were confirmed to be employees of Innovative Educational Programs (IEP) in Basking Ridge, New Jersey. One of the men, according to his business card (pictured), is the company’s “Southeast Regional Director”.
Tony O’Donell, CEO of the company, learned of the incidents involving his employees from a NorthEscambia.com phone call.
“I am just flabbergasted by the suspicions,” O’Donnell said from his New Jersey office. He said the company immediately suspended both men and launched an internal investigation. “We will be asking them a lot of questions.” He said IEP will likely terminate both men.
All IEP employees undergo background screenings, and the company does not allow employees to carry guns, the CEO said.
According to Escambia County School Superintendent Malcolm Thomas, IEP is not contracted to provide any services whatsoever in Escambia County. Thomas said IEP is not a licensed tutoring provider in Florida. NorthEscambia.com independently confirmed that IEP is not an authorized tutoring service recognized by the Florida Department of Education; however, the company is a legitimate tutoring provider in several states, including Alabama and Mississippi.
O’Donnell said the men were in the Pensacola area to “scout” schools for market research.
“We’ve never had an incident like this before,” he said. “This is just beyond belief. I regret that our company has indirectly caused so many people to be upset there (in Escambia County).”
Wednesday: Men And Vehicle Stopped In Flomaton, Ala.
Thursday was the second encounter with local law enforcement for the men, both of which claimed to be education tutors.
A traffic stop about 5 p.m. Wednesday at the Alabama/Florida line turned up an arsenal of weapons and thousands of dollars in cash.
Officer Chris Neal with the Flomaton Police Department conducted a routine traffic stop about 5 p.m. after observing the driver of a 2012 Chevrolet Suburban make an improper lane change on Highway 29. He stopped the vehicle just over the bridge between Flomaton and Century, still inside Alabama but only a few yards from Florida.
For more photos from the traffic stop, click here.
Neal asked for and was granted consent to search. After finding several guns in the vehicle, the he immediately called for backup from the Escambia County (Fla.) Sheriff’s Office.
A search of the vehicle by Neal and another officer from the Flomaton Police Department uncovered multiple handguns, hundreds of rounds of ammunition, multiple ammunition clips, tasers, police handcuffs, brass knuckles and “suspicious” solid black clothing, gloves and hoodies. The passenger claimed the guns belonged to him, and he produced a valid weapons permit.
Officers also located a paper bag containing $8,400 in $100 bills inside the vehicle. One of the men told a story about having IRS troubles and dealing in cash to avoid problems with the agency. The cash was not in the vehicle when it was stopped Thursday morning.
Multiple SIM cards — memory chips that allow cell phones to switch numbers and identifiable information instantly — were visible in the vehicle Wednesday afternoon, along with a laptop computer and multiple wireless internet modems.
The vehicle was also searched for drugs by an Escambia County (Fla.) K-9, but no illegal drugs were located.
The driver and passenger, both adult males, said they were on their way from the Birmingham area to tutor students Thursday at Warrington Middle School. One of the men was dressed in a t-shirt with a tutoring company’s logo on the front and the words “Free Tutoring” on the back. They produced business cards and other items from a tutoring company in New Jersey.
The men said they had the arsenal of weapons for their own protection because they sometimes tutor students in “bad areas”.
Officers spent about two hours searching the vehicle, questioning the men as they stood handcuffed by a police car and running various computer records checks on the vehicle, the firearms and the men. All of the weapons were legally possessed, according to officers. Both men were released Wednesday without any criminal charges or traffic citations.
NorthEscambia.com photos, click to enlarge.
Comments
52 Responses to “In Depth: Feds Seize Guns From ‘Tutors’ Near School, No Charges Filed”
Is it against the law to carry guns know matter how many in your car, I dont know the circmstances but i bet the NRA will be all over this one. People this is America I get up every morning put get dressed put my 45 in a inside paints holsters concealed, I also have a gun and cashin my safe in my car with a 9mm in it and a 22magnum, Is this against the law not that I can recall, I also have a permit never had a speeding ticket or arrested in my life. Now the reason I do it (which is no ones business , I own a small buisness in Pensacola for 50 years that is in one of the roughest neiborhoods ,the crime has grown around me shold I have to tell a cop this), the reason im packing everday. I will not give in. i dont know everything here but 150 rounds is nothing. I think it is a major screw up.
multiple handguns, hundreds of rounds of ammunition, multiple ammunition clips, tasers, police handcuffs, brass knuckles and “suspicious” solid black clothing, gloves and hoodies. The passenger claimed the guns belonged to him, and he produced a valid weapons permit.
Officers also located a paper bag containing $8,400 in $100 bills inside the vehicle. One of the men told a story about having IRS troubles and dealing in cash to avoid problems with the agency. The cash was not in the vehicle when it was stopped Thursday morning.
Multiple SIM cards — memory chips that allow cell phones to switch numbers and identifiable information instantly — were visible in the vehicle Wednesday afternoon, along with a laptop computer and multiple wireless internet modems
Story does not add up, if you or I had these in our vehicle, we would be interrogated and put under the jail!!! Very very fishy!!!
Honestly as suspicious as it sounds, maybe they are both gun enthusiests and shoot at the range is their hobby. They had their papers, no harm done. Though i’m glad the Police is doing their job.
“If tutoring don’t work out, we can go into another line of work, better bring the right tools.”
Imaginary thought process.
This is scary!!! These men had a backstory-tutors-! These men look like a hit team or terror team!!! I would be very concerned, they were headed to do something scary!!! Why all the talk about the race!!! The items mentioned were not tutoring materials!! Be concerned!!!
response to megan
i agree i would not let them take my firearms if you look at the pics.it looks like they only had four firearms my dad was a Lt. with a sherriffs dept. in La. and i still think some of the cops around here think they can do whatever they want by intimidation. and i do only mean SOME not all.
Yeah, WHY WERE THEY SEARCHED IN THE 1ST PLACE? WHAT GAVE THEM PROBABLE CAUSE?
I’m still trying to figure out why they were searched in the first place. Ive never been searched at a traffic stop. Then it wasn’t enough that they had permits, and were searched twice with no cause for arrest. They had another agency come in and seize perfectly legal guns, and people are ok with this?! I’m all for heightened security and if they were to get on school property the cops could’ve immediately searched them and arrested them with cause if they had the weapons.
I agree it is suspicious, but that’s not illegal. Maybe they were Fbi or something but this story and the people who are ok with legal guns being seized and gun owners being stalked by the police are just a way to get the public to support their own loss of rights. The government will never say “everyone turn in your guns” there’d be too much backlash. They just chip away at your rights little by little in the interest of your “safety”
Look around. Its everywhere. Remember when you could go to the beach without helicopters and 4 wheeler’s patrolling?
They made the mistake of driving in alabama while black. I hope they are undercover FBI and those bozo cops from flomaton get put down a notch. If you don’t let them search your car for a traffic stop, they have probable cause to search your car. Hitler and Stalin used the same logic.
The Tri City area is just one place I simply avoid. It is easy enough to just detour
around the whole ball of wax.
I hope these two have learned a valuable lesson about driving through small towns.
All those wasted man hours, kids missing school just pick up I-10 in Mobile.
Even though we may not like their looks, where they are from and what they have
in their possession, if they are legal well then they are legal. Live with it.
I’d be more concerned if they were armed with 4 copies of the Quran than with 4 pistols. Everybody needs to be armed especially if they’re traveling. The cash is obviously gas money. Just look at that beast they rented for the trip. The law is well enough equipped to check these guys out without detaining them for that long.
They had a map to a school!! Why did they have a map to a school???
Has anyone but me noticed that in all the pictures of these men, their heads are blurred out, not their faces but their heads even when the picture is from their back. I have a friend if someone takes a picture of him that will be published to the public he has them blur his head, if he emails ME a picture he is in, he digitally removes his head from the picture because he does work for one of the three letter agencies out of Washington. After all, of the thousands of pictures William has put on North Escambia how many has he blurred out before. Maybe it’s just me but 4 guns and a 150 rounds of ammo don’t seem like a lot to me between two men. I use to shoot in competition 2700 matches. I normally fired 200 rounds a day from a .22 LR, .38 Spec, .45 ACP a total of 600 rounds a day, I reloaded and was buying gun powder by the kegs. When I went to a match, I had 3 guns, and usually between 1000 and 1500 rounds of ammo in the vehicle with me. I got out of the target shooting business about 30 years ago because of the expense. Apparently these men are in legal possession of these guns and they should be returned, or do y’all prefer that the government keep them so in a couple of years they can use the same excuse to come to your house and take yours.
If these guys were fbi or cia then this would have never made news. This was a random traffic stop that netted a lot of questions. These guys will have a lot of explaining to do… to somebody. Two and 2 ain’t making 4. The guns, the cash, the suspect destination. Maybe these guys are delta force and were set up with this scenario to see if they could get out of it. Maybe elvis is still alive.
What is wrong with all of you have you forgotten911??? These men had a map of a school where children were there was no record from the school that any tutors were coming and there was no confirmation from New jersey that they were coming to tutor–where they supposedly worked. They had lots of cash and lots and lots of ammo. This is not a racial issue please I am so sick of that excuse unless they were FBI or CIA (very doubtful) then something was very wrong with this scenario just wondering how you all would have felt if they made it to the school and something very bad happened. I am a proud gun carrier and will fight to protect my right to carry but something is very wrong with this situation.
They could have been like CIA or something…local law enforcement night not have been informed if they were like undercover or something lol…
Profiling at its finest……….If they were white would they’ve been pulled over?
Even though having all that gear, money was a little shady.
This at over yet y’all. Look for it on CNN.
To take anothers possesions without a legal reason or their permission is theft.
If you are really looking for strange or weired read the comments on this site.
“I have guns, mace and stun guns hid in my vehicle everywhere, I AM NOT A CRIMINAL.”
No, but you do appear to have psychological “issues”.
The headline should read, “Two men hassled by law enforcement: Rights violated”.
“Thanks for putting a bad taste in the mouth of two people who will more than likely never, ever step foot or spend another dollar in lovely Pensacola, FL ever again.”
You’re very welcome, and these two can close the door on their way out. Maybe you should go with them. You seem to have lot in common.
How many guns and how much cash can I carry without being harrased? I thought for a minute we where in the USA… Since when are teachers not allowed to have guns?
There is obviously more to the story than they are telling…..letting the men go, catching them again, ATF siezing all weapons, let them go again. The company not elaborating on their employment……..Hello, FBI????? probably so, they had no choice but to let them go, especially after they found out what was going on? What black men do you know from around here that would get caught with these”legal” weapons and get away with out being taken in for questioning? Not likely to happen. Oh well, I don’t think we will ever hear anything else about this…..for all we know, this could have been a set-up just to make sure that the POLICE were doing their jobs correctly???? especially after the McGraw incident….I am jsut saying, THINK OUT OF THE BOX!
Why did the two men have multiple sim cards, laptops, cell phones, gloves, dark hoodies, etc???? It’s none of your business, that’s why. None of that stuff is illegal. Why is it even being made public as to what legal items they carried?
REGARDING:
“I just have to wonder why the money was in a paper bag and not in a wallet?”
Thieves are more likely to look in a wallet than they are a paper bag.
David for paper AND plastic
I would like to commend the Flomaton Police Officer, Chris Neal, who initially made the stop. “Common Sense” tells you that when Multiple handguns, hundreds of rounds of ammunition, multiple ammunition clips, tasers, police handcuffs, brass knuckles and “suspicious” solid black clothing, gloves and hoodies and a map to Warrington Middle School were discovered it is warranted that these individuals be checked out. I was recently stopped by an Escambia County Sheriff’s Deputy because my light was out. Did I get mad, defensive or felt my rights were violated, NO, because the officer was doing his job. Great Job to the Flomaton Police Department, Escambia County Sheriff’s Department and the ATF. Thank you for taking action to protect our children. The fact remains the “potential” was there that something bad could have happened. I do not see this incident being sent out to tourist as a negative message. If anything, the message sent was your Sheriff’s Department is on top of things sounds like a safe area to bring my family. Also, If you are a “tourist” up to “No Good” you may not want to come to Escambia County. I am very Thankful that Law Enforcement intervened.
Yeah, this isn’t going to end well for Escambia Co. I feel a law suit coming soon. They had permits. They wasn’t doing anything wrong. They were doing their job and scouting out schools. They never stepped foot on school grounds with the guns. And still the Escamiba Co LEOs pretty much stalked them and pulled them over again.
They had 2 guns each… How is that an arsenal? You have one for a main and one for a backup. It makes a lot of sense to carry a gun, especially when you may have to travel to bad neighborhoods. Money in a paper bag…. Yeah, I understand. If you are traveling, don’t keep money in your wallet.. put it in a bag and throw it on the floorboard like it is trash. A thief usually doesn’t search what looks to be trash.
it just goes to show you that if you follow the law, it won’t matter if you are black.
I have been pulled over more than once with more guns and money than what they had, and I wasn’t even given a ticket or questioned any further after I showed the legal documents. Oh yeah.. Might want to mention I am white too. That probably had something to do with it.
Again, this won’t end well. But I’m sure we won’t hear much more about it. They will settle out of court, and keep it hush hush so the public thinks the LEOs and ATF were in the right and done nothing wrong.
@wyatt-
To answer your question, “if you had a kid and these two men were headed for their school wouldn’t you be outraged two?” With the facts we have been given, no, I would not be outraged “two.” I understand how important the laws are that protect our freedom. Just because what someone is doing is “suspicious” does not mean he is guilty. I certainly hope that all of you making comments like “there is no doubt that they were up to something” never serve on a jury.
Wyatt, it doesn’t surprise me that you would be terrified of a couple tutors. Personally, I would be more terrified to stay in a motel in Warrington.
In response to “why dont yall just shut up becuase theirs no escuse for this” What exactly is there no “escuse” for?
I am an idiot because I believe in the Constitution of the U.S. It is not illegal(YET) to carry around large amounts of cash or weapons, but if people like waytt where in charge we would all be speaking chinese. I bet you wouldn’t call me an idiot to my face either.
What I love about this story is reading where the mullet wrapper PNJ says “according to NorthEscambia.com”!!! Kudos to William and his staff:)
Ever tried fitting over 8 grand in a wallet? It’s a real pain. lol
“Read again this part of the article: “A search of the vehicle by Neal and another officer from the Flomaton Police Department uncovered multiple handguns, hundreds of rounds of ammunition, multiple ammunition clips, tasers, police handcuffs, brass knuckles and “suspicious” solid black clothing, gloves and hoodies. The passenger claimed the guns belonged to him, and he produced a valid weapons permit.”
Please help me understand what these items may be needed for by a person(s) who is tutoring kids. If you have children would you want them stopping at your childs school with all this thug stuff?”
Read again the part that says these weapons were going to school with these men. When you find that part, please point me to it.
And to answer your question why these items may be needed by people tutoring kids: if part of your job was to stay in motels in areas you don’t know, wouldn’t you like to be armed? I most assuredly am armed when I go out of town. I am not allowed to take my weapon to the places I work, but I can guarantee you that while in unfamiliar territory, in a motel, in a part of town that I have no clue if it is good or bad, I have my sidearm. As far as the handcuffs and brass knuckles go, I really don’t see a reason for having them. The police tasers? Have you ever been schocked by one of the cheap tasers they sell as personal protection? I have, just to see what it would do. Honestly, they are more annoying than anything. If I were to own a taser it would most definitely be police grade as they have a proven track record of stopping people intent on not being stopped. Multiple ammunition clips? I have 5 clips that each hold 15 rounds for my sidearm, so that doesn’t sound odd at all. Solid black clothing? Suspicious, yes. Out of the ordinary? Not really.
But I shall digress. You people have already crucified these men and there is nothing that anyone can do to make you even consider any different conclusions than the ones you have already come to. I really hope that I never need the services of any of you for a jury of my peers, as I already know what awaits me if I do.
I love how this has been blown out of portion. All because of racial profiling or heck profiling in general. I have tattoos, ride a Harley and often go unshaven and get distrusting looks from people who do not know me. Heck even people who know me shy away from me until they recognize me. I’m fine with that because are stupid! Generalizing any one for what they look like, unfortunately gonna happen. My point is don’t judge a book by its cover, cause when I get off my Harley, I put on scrubs and save your pitiful miserable lives.
This lesson should be taught in every middle and high school civics class next week. It is a fascinating situation with no clear-cut solution.
Two people who broke no laws (excluding the improper lane change) are asked if they have guns. After being truthful about weapons they legally possess, they are detained for 3 hours while their vehicle is searched. In this case, legal possession of weapons is probable cause for a search for drugs.
Then, while driving the next day on a public roadway, they are again detained and searched, and their weapons are confiscated.
I also see the other side all too clearly. These were people who were armed, had questionable intentions, and had at least some potential to interact with children.
I am glad they were stopped. But I do see that with subtle changes to the fact pattern, that we end up with abuse of law-abiding citizens.
If the idiots wouldnt of said they we’re going to a middle school none of this would of ever started! We would of never heard about it.
Thank you to all involved in checking these guys out. I appreciate protection and safety.
I have a feeling that all these people who are “Whinning” about these guys “rights”, would also be “whinning” if something had gone down bad, and the law enforcement hadnt investigated…..so pay no attention to them.
It stands to suspicion, that, these guys reason for the ammo doesnt make sense.
They had it for protection? Sounds to me like they wanted to blend in with the “thugs”….hoods, gloves, black clothes…
Their lying to officials, that should be reason enough to investigate them.
I think they were up to no good, and I am grateful they are being investigated.
Thanks William for such great coverage!! The world is a safer place with you too.
I just have to wonder why the money was in a paper bag and not in a wallet?
you poeple are idiots if you had a kid and these two men were headed for their school wouldn’t you be outraged two? if i had a kid and i herd about this i would be terrified for the other kid and including mine at that school so why dont yall just shut up becuase theirs no escuse for this
Hope I never get pulled over for a illegal lane change. I carry a small arsenal with me at all times, especially during hunting season. This is still the U.S.A. and we have the right to keep and bear firearms. I have guns, mace and stun guns hid in my vehicle everywhere, I AM NOT A CRIMINAL. This is an evil world and a person has a right to protect their selfs and their families.
I first want to say Thanks to the Flomaton Police department. The have proved that they are the first eyes watching out for the citizens of Florida. (Where are all the Escambia Sheriff officers in all their fancym SUV’s). Despite the bad Rap the Flomaton Police department received a couple of months ago froma mistake of it’sChief. They are on the Job.
I know that times are bad but WHO needs to ride down the road with all these guns and this much cash. With all the stuff going on out there you can’f help to feel that this does not have the smell of NO GOOD.
I do not know how all this is going to shake out but we have got to let the Police, ATF, or FBI do their jobs and worry about someone coming up wilh silly Law suites later. It seems that people are like cats just sitting in a Lurk and ready to Pounce onto something to sue over anyway.
Its Safety First!
A whole lot of hysteria over nothing.
You have two 30 something guys of color in a $50k SUV so the cops just gotta pull them over for something. Detain them for 5 hours Wednesday and 2 more hours Thursday.
All that and multi agencies checking for something, anything to arrest them for.
So far they are squeaky clean and again let go.
And what if the cash was in the motel safe, take note the article only says it was not in the SUV.
And be very careful of what Super Thomas says about them.
He is running for re-election so as soon as he heard of these guys (with guns) in the news, it is deny, deny, deny.
Note that he did not say the men did not have any appointments with anyone in the school district. This week or next.
Just that they were not under contract at this time.
This all sounds like a case of paranoia on the part of the passenger.
He has IRS troubles and now thinks the government is out to get him so he is trying to keep his whereabouts a secret or something.
Thus the legal guns and the legal SIM cards, etc.
To “Someguy” :
Read again this part of the article: “A search of the vehicle by Neal and another officer from the Flomaton Police Department uncovered multiple handguns, hundreds of rounds of ammunition, multiple ammunition clips, tasers, police handcuffs, brass knuckles and “suspicious” solid black clothing, gloves and hoodies. The passenger claimed the guns belonged to him, and he produced a valid weapons permit.”
Please help me understand what these items may be needed for by a person(s) who is tutoring kids. If you have children would you want them stopping at your childs school with all this thug stuff? I hope they do leave hear with a bad taste in their mouth and never come here again. They’re up to no good!
Thanks to whoever the initial officer was. Your work at its finest. Watching and following certain people and then pulling them over for anything that you can think of and when you can’t find anything, call the surrounding departments and informing them to BOL.
I can see the headlines now: POLICE DEPARTMENTS HARASS UNDERCOVER AGENTS
If you take all the information that these two men gave every officer they came in contact with, along with all of the firearms, ammo, cell phones, SIM chips, laptop, $8,400 in cash, etc. It almost seems as if these two guys were using the Free Tutoring agency as a cover to conduct “under the table” type of weapon sales. Black market type weapons dealers. Or maybe they planned on robbing a major bank in the Pensacola area, I mean they had enough 21st century “gear” that could be used for such a thing.
The website said they drove from the Birmingham area, not New Jersey. The article says the tutoring Company is based in New Jersey. The ownerhip of handguns in NJ is very tightly regulated, not so much in Alabama.
The ATF could have done an NCIC background check on these guys in five minutes and determined if they were legally allowed to possess firearms, but to confiscate them just because they “looked:” suspicious is a violation of the Second Amendment and the Fourth Amendment. If it turns out these guys have a legal right to the guns, I hope they turn around and sue the ATF.
Wow….some of you have reading comprehension issues. They didn’t drive down from NJ, they drove down from Birmingham. Yes, they had a permit as they state in the article that the guns were licensed and legal. And the whole thing is still freaking fishy. The fact that they had $8,000 one day and not the next makes me wonder what they were purchasing for that $8K. It’s just all fishy…and I personally don’t want people like that visiting our beautiful state.
The scariest part of this is that the ATF seized their guns even though they were not arrested or charged. How is that permissible in a free Republic? If the government can do that, they can do anything they want any time to anybody.
They apparently had permits for the guns. What is with the multiple sim cards, cell phones, laptops, etc.? There was also a lot of cash found Wednesday which was not there on Thursday. Isn’t anyone suspicious about that? Drug deals? Trafficing in something illegal? Everyone here seems to have guns, but that much cash and that many sim cards for phones tells me something is not right. I smell a skunk in the woodpile!
TERRIFYING to say the least. I am extremely frightened about this situation.Their stash of guns and ammunition not to mention “suspicious black clothing & hoodies,”, a collection of SIM cards for phones. There is no doubt that they were up to something, and I pray FDLE finds out what it was. Personally, I want to say thank you officers Chris Neal for getting the ball rolling on these two, good job..Praise God for His hand in all of this.
why was it legal to have the guns on one day and the ATF confiscates the guns the next day? and what was up with the multiple SIM chips?
So the full story comes out and I hope there are a lot of people who feel absolutely sick and ashamed of themselves. It is unbelievable how many who read the story over the past couple days and had already tried, convicted, and crucified these men!
With only a small difference in their story and their CEO’s story; the part where the men said they were on their way to tutor and the CEO saying they were merely there to scout, I see absolutely nothing wrong with it! Their only fault was the confidence that once their scouting was over, they would have yet one more client.
The CEO’s statement about his employee’s carrying weapons could be a little more in depth, though. If he meant that his employees cannot carry weapons while tutoring, that is completely understandable and perfectly within reason. If he doesn’t allow them to carry at all, even when not tutoring, he should re-evaluate his position. Just to illustrate my point: I travel for work, and nowhere I work allows the possession of firearms. I travel with mine every time because of the various motels I have to stay in and the clientele those type of establishments tend to attract. It goes everywhere with me EXCEPT for work. These men drove from NJ so wouldn’t it be at all feasible that when they were pulled over Wednesday afternoon on the way in, they were carrying for that exact reason? As for carrying this morning when they were stopped; couldn’t it be at all possible that they had planned on getting down here a few days early and wanted to take in the Florida sights before meeting with the proper school board officials on Monday morning after the FCAT testing was complete? I mean, NJ is quite a few miles away from the beautiful, white, sandy beaches of Pensacola.
Thanks for putting a bad taste in the mouth of two people who will more than likely never, ever step foot or spend another dollar in lovely Pensacola, FL ever again.
I don’t know – maybe they are just scared and have the arsenal for protection – but…..maybe they should be in a different job. It’s just all suspicious. One gun – maybe two, ’cause there are two of them – but that looks like they are ready for a war. If I’m traveling on the interstate – any interstate – I’m gonna have my gun with me. Someone wanted to kill me once – road rage – and it wasn’t even me that made him mad. For over 100 miles he tried to run me off the road . I was very scared and had no protection. I will next time – and it’s legal.
Does anyone know whether these guys had a permit?