WMD Law?
A Pennsylvania state law against weapons of mass destruction is being tested for the first time this week in the trial of a Kensington man and his two sons, who are accused of stockpiling guns, ammunition and grenades to protect their alleged marijuana-distribution business.
Johnnie Bellmon, 61; Harry Bellmon, 41; and Benjamin Bellmon, 30, are charged with a host of weapon and drug charges, including possessing weapons of mass destruction and prohibited ammunition, risking a catastrophe, and conspiracy.
If convicted of the weapons of mass destruction charge – which became law after the Sept. 11 terrorist attacks – each man faces a maximum 20 years of prison time in addition to the standard sentence.
Sounds pretty scary. What did they have?
In addition to large bags of marijuana and packaging equipment, investigators seized four loaded handguns; more than 20,000 rounds of live ammunition; an ammunition-making machine; sniper suits, which are designed to blend into vegetation; three grenades; an artillery rocket; an inoperable World War II-era machine gun; and disassembled rifles.
Handguns: Not illegal.
Live ammunition: Not illegal.
Ammunition-making machine: AKA a reloader and not illegal.
Sniper suits: They had camo colored pants? Not illegal.
Three grenades: Later in the article, we find the grenades were decommissioned war trophies that are legal to own. In fact, you can buy them online for about $5.
Artillery rocket: The article doesn’t say but I assume, given that the other stuff was legally purchased decommissioned stuff, that this was too. Again, not illegal.
Inoperable World War II-era machine gun: Again, not at all illegal.
Disassembled rifles: Not illegal.
Unless they can prove these guys were somehow converting these things into actual weapons, this should be a drug case and nothing more. The hysterical press ate it up, though.
November 4th, 2004 at 10:21 am
Sniper suits? Where do they come up with this stuff?
I hope the authorities don’t raid my office anytime soon. They’d likely encounter a desktop weapons depot (aka: coffee mug) filled with deadly graphite-reinforced ventricle penetrators.
November 4th, 2004 at 10:23 am
Let’s hope they never get a glimpse of This guy’s basement.
November 4th, 2004 at 11:20 am
Geeze, if thats all it takes to have “weapons of mass destruction” we certainly hit the motherload in Iraq, regardless of whether we ever find the nukes and bio weapons they moved to Syria, didn’t we??
November 4th, 2004 at 12:39 pm
Marijuana: Not illegal.
We’ve got to visualize success.
November 4th, 2004 at 8:52 pm
drugs are weapons of mass destruction..didn’t you know?