BRIAN D. BORGELT, 41, of Lakewood, Washington, the former co-owner
of Bull's Eye Shooters Supply in Tacoma, pleaded guilty today to Failure
to File a Federal Tax Return. BORGELT pleaded guilty to the "major
count" of a superseding indictment returned by a grand jury this
Spring, charging him with failing to file tax returns between 1997 and
2001.
Bull's Eye Shooters Supply gained national notoriety in 2002 when the
Bushmaster rifle involved in the D.C. sniper case was linked to the
store. Lee Malvo, one of two men convicted of murder in the case, told
investigators he had stolen the rifle from the Tacoma store. The Bureau
of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms & Explosives (ATF) inspections at
the store had revealed problems with required paperwork tracking the
disposition of firearms. The U.S. Attorney's Office determined there
were no viable federal firearms charges that could be pursued against
BORGELT. ATF has administratively revoked BORGELT's Federal Firearms
License.
Failing to File a Tax Return is punishable by up to one year in prison
and a $100,000 fine. BORGELT will be sentenced by U.S. Magistrate Judge
Strombom on December 6, 2005. BORGELT has agreed to pay in back taxes,
penalties and interest for all the counts alleged in the indictment
- amounting to $230,884.
The case was investigated by the Internal Revenue Service and ATF.
Assistant United States Attorneys Andrew Friedman and Arlen Storm are
prosecuting the case.
For additional information please contact Emily Langlie, Public Affairs
Officer for the United States Attorney's Office, Western District of
Washington at (206) 553-4110.
