JJC
Regular Member
A convicted felon with a tattooed face attracted some unwanted attention when he went gun shopping last week and ended up with a federal weapons charge.
Monsoor's Sport Shop owner Pat Wendling contacted the bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives last week about a possible "straw purchase" after the 28-year-old La Crosse man came in to look at handguns.
When shown a 9 mm Taurus pistol, Damon Taylor lifted his shirt, tucked the gun in his waistband, commenting it would fit nicely, according to an ATF agent's affidavit unsealed Friday. He said he wanted to buy the pistol for his fiancée and asked how to go about it.
Taylor returned with a woman later identified as Olga Gallegos and handed her money before she paid for
the gun, according to the affidavit. When the clerk left to run a background check, he noticed the phone number Gallegos provided had been scratched out and replaced with one La Crosse police traced to Taylor. Gallegos is not Taylor's fiancée.
Police identified Taylor, who has a dragon tattoo that stretches across his forehead, on store video.
Police set up surveillance on Wednesday and watched as Taylor and Gallegos met in the parking lot. Gallegos went inside and returned with the gun and 50 rounds of ammunition, which police found when they stopped Taylor's vehicle.
Taylor, who was convicted in 2003 of possession of a firearm by a felon and sentenced to 18 months in prison, was charged in U.S. District Court with unlawful possession of a firearm. The U.S. Attorney's office has not decided whether to charge Gallegos.
JJC
Monsoor's Sport Shop owner Pat Wendling contacted the bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives last week about a possible "straw purchase" after the 28-year-old La Crosse man came in to look at handguns.
When shown a 9 mm Taurus pistol, Damon Taylor lifted his shirt, tucked the gun in his waistband, commenting it would fit nicely, according to an ATF agent's affidavit unsealed Friday. He said he wanted to buy the pistol for his fiancée and asked how to go about it.
Taylor returned with a woman later identified as Olga Gallegos and handed her money before she paid for
the gun, according to the affidavit. When the clerk left to run a background check, he noticed the phone number Gallegos provided had been scratched out and replaced with one La Crosse police traced to Taylor. Gallegos is not Taylor's fiancée.
Police identified Taylor, who has a dragon tattoo that stretches across his forehead, on store video.
Police set up surveillance on Wednesday and watched as Taylor and Gallegos met in the parking lot. Gallegos went inside and returned with the gun and 50 rounds of ammunition, which police found when they stopped Taylor's vehicle.
Taylor, who was convicted in 2003 of possession of a firearm by a felon and sentenced to 18 months in prison, was charged in U.S. District Court with unlawful possession of a firearm. The U.S. Attorney's office has not decided whether to charge Gallegos.
JJC
