A Colorado judge agreed to revoke the license of an Aurora-based gun dealer who had committed hundreds of violations over the years.
U.S. District Court Judge R. Brooke Jackson agreed with federal authorities when they revoked the firearms license of Timothy Taconi—owner of A-TAC Gear Guns Uniforms and ATAC Arms, according to court papers.
“A-TAC also states that enforcement of these regulations against A-TAC was selective,” according to Jackson’s ruling. “Admittedly, it is the Court’s impression that Mr. Taconi was not attempting to deceive the government or subvert the law for malicious purposes. Taking his hearing testimony at face value, it appears that he knew he was making mistakes and running afoul of the regulations, but in some instances he did it to avoid strife with his wife, and in others he believed it was simply the way most dealers were operating.”
However, she said that “neither of these explanations excuse his violations,” adding that “A-TAC may find it unfair that its license was revoked while other dealers engaging in similar violations have not faced the same fate.”
“But that is the risk of violating any regulation, and Mr. Taconi is a sophisticated enough businessman to have understood that risk. This supposed unfairness does not render the agency’s decision unlawful.”
Taconi, however, sees it differently, telling news website Colorado Politics that he does not believe some of the firearms laws and regulations are lawful. He received his federal firearms license in 2015, and the ATF granted him a regulation reference book, an acknowledgment form that he signed, and an in-person meeting.
“It’s a federal firearms license, not a state firearms license. Not to mention the rules are vague,” he said. “There’s no reason I feel that any federal firearms-licensed person should not be able to run a background check no matter where it is.”
Officials with the ATF learned Taconi was allegedly selling firearms at a gun show in Wisconsin three years after he got his license, reported The Gazette, after an informant told Taconi he had some “run-ins with the law,” but Taconi sold the gun to him regardless of the claim and without paperwork. ATF officials warned him at another gun show in Wisconsin.
Then, an investigator visited Taconi’s store in December 2018 to check inventory, and the agency claimed Taconi had more than 600 violations in 16 categories.
The Epoch Times reached out to ATAC Arms for comment.
