LOS ANGELES – David “Doc” DeMulle, 75, of Tujunga, traded ink for iron bars this week, receiving a 41-month federal prison sentence for illegally stockpiling firearms. The editor-in-chief of the Sunland/Tujunga’s The Foothills Paper was sentenced Monday by United States District Judge Otis D. Wright III, bringing a grim end to a case that exposed a cynical scheme masked as charity.
DeMulle pleaded guilty in 2016 to being a convicted felon in possession of firearms – a serious charge given his 1990 convictions for perjury and welfare fraud. Judge Wright revealed the scope of DeMulle’s illegal arsenal: 25 firearms and hundreds of pounds of ammunition, all held by a man legally barred from owning them. This wasn’t just a personal collection; it was a dangerous operation built on deception.
The scheme first surfaced when DeMulle published an advertisement in his own paper, touting “Guns for Haiti Quake Relief.” The ad solicited firearm donations, promising proceeds from their sale would benefit earthquake victims. It was a calculated play, leveraging tragedy for personal gain. Undercover Los Angeles Police Department officers responded to the ad, delivering two firearms to DeMulle, who readily accepted them – a clear violation of federal law.
But the two firearms were just the tip of the iceberg. Subsequent searches of DeMulle’s home and business unearthed 23 additional firearms and hundreds of pounds of ammunition. Investigators also discovered a pattern of prior illegal activity. DeMulle had previously placed classified ads in The Foothills Paper soliciting firearms, falsely claiming to possess a federal firearms dealer’s license to facilitate the purchases from private citizens. He was, in essence, running an off-the-books gun brokerage.
The Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives (ATF) and the Los Angeles Police Department worked jointly on the investigation, peeling back layers of deceit to reveal the full extent of DeMulle’s operation. This wasn’t about altruism; it was about profit and a blatant disregard for the law. The investigation highlighted the potential for even seemingly local publications to become conduits for illegal arms trafficking.
Assistant United States Attorney Gregory Lesser of the Violent and Organized Crime Section prosecuted the case, securing a sentence that reflects the severity of DeMulle’s crimes. While the proceeds from any actual firearm sales remain unclear, the evidence paints a picture of a man willing to exploit a natural disaster for personal enrichment, and to flout gun laws in the process. DeMulle’s days of editing headlines are over; now, he’ll be reading them from behind bars.”
Related Federal Cases
Key Facts
- State: California
- Agency: DOJ USAO
- Category: Weapons|Fraud & Financial Crimes|Organized Crime
- Source: Official Source ↗
🔒 Get the grimiest stories delivered weekly. Subscribe free →
Browse More
