Harry Trueblood, Unlicensed Firearms Dealer, Missouri 2024

ST. CHARLES COUNTY, MO – Harry Trueblood, 69, of St. Charles County, Missouri, dodged a prison sentence Monday, receiving five years of probation and 200 hours of community service for flagrantly ignoring federal gun laws. The conviction, however, permanently bars him from owning or selling firearms.

Trueblood pleaded guilty in November to one count of being an unlicensed firearms dealer. The feds say he peddled hundreds of guns at gun shows across the state between January 2021 and May 2023, all without the required Federal Firearms License (FFL). Assistant U.S. Attorney Jennifer Szczucinski told the court Trueblood deliberately avoided licensing, continuing his sales even after being warned by the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives (ATF) that he was breaking the law.

ATF agents traced over 250 firearms back to Trueblood, and a grim tally revealed at least 40 of those guns turned up at crime scenes. Szczucinski detailed how Trueblood’s illegally-sold weapons were linked to a homicide, a suicide, and multiple shootings. One particularly disturbing case involved a man with severe mental health issues, turned away by legitimate gun stores, who was able to purchase a firearm from Trueblood.

The ATF’s investigation began after multiple firearms recovered in unrelated criminal investigations were traced back to Trueblood as the original purchaser. Agents even bought AR-15-type pistols and handguns from him directly during the investigation. Despite receiving a cease-and-desist letter on February 1, 2023, ordering him to halt unlicensed sales, Trueblood allegedly continued to operate, according to his plea agreement.

“Trueblood was linked to selling over 250 firearms without a Federal Firearms License and over 40 crime guns were traced back him,” said Bernard Hansen, Special Agent in Charge of ATF’s Kansas City Field Division. “It is firearm traffickers like this defendant that fuel violence in our communities by putting deadly weapons in the hands of people who commit violent crimes.” Hansen emphasized the importance of the ATF’s Crime Gun Intelligence Center in identifying Trueblood and disrupting the flow of illegal firearms.

The ATF led the investigation, with Assistant U.S. Attorney Jennifer Szczucinski prosecuting the case. While Trueblood avoided prison time, he’s now a convicted felon, and his days of dealing guns are over. The case serves as a stark reminder that skirting federal gun laws, even without a lengthy jail sentence, carries significant and lasting consequences.

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