Jeremiah Micah Deare, Conspiracy to Deal Firearms, Louisiana 2019

Lafayette’s Dave’s Gunshop, LLC, and its owner, Jeremiah Micah Deare, 37, have been charged with conspiracy to deal firearms without a license, making false statements in records required to be kept by a licensed firearms dealer, and failing to file sales reports in connection with their firearms business in Lafayette, Louisiana.

According to a recent indictment, Deare, along with co-defendant Sarah Elaine Fogle, 30, have been charged with one count of conspiracy to engage in the business of dealing in firearms without a license, two counts of making false statements with respect to records of a licensed firearms dealer, and four counts of failure to file multiple sales reports.

The indictment also seeks forfeiture of 619 firearms which were involved in the commission of these offenses. Deare was the owner of Dave’s Gunshop, LLC, and the responsible party for Dave’s Federal Firearms License.

The indictment alleges that on or about August 13, 2019, a compliance inspection was conducted at Dave’s by the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives (ATF). Dave’s, through Deare, was warned for numerous violations, including failing to complete an ATF-4473 (1 time), failing to accurately keep acquisition and disposition records for dispositions (67 times), failing to accurately keep acquisition and disposition records for acquisitions (62 times), transferring firearms without having a final response from the National Instant Criminal Background Check System (2 times), inaccurate completion of ATF-4473 forms (111 times), and for missing firearms.

The indictment further alleges that on September 19, 2019, Deare and Fogle attended an in-person warning conference at the ATF office in Baton Rouge, Louisiana, wherein the violations were discussed. Deare was provided the opportunity to comment on the violations and articulate the corrective actions that would be taken to ensure that future violations would not occur.

Deare and Fogle willfully engaged in the business of dealing in firearms without a license by buying and selling firearms without complying with the recordkeeping and background check requirements required by federal law. Deare and Fogle acquired large quantities of firearms and ammunition from estate sales and other means but would not document the firearms in Dave’s Acquisition & Disposition Book as required by federal law.

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