McCall Woman Sentenced for Shipping a Loaded Gun in Mail

BOISE – Tami Dee Bachart, 47, of McCall, Idaho, was sentenced yesterday to one year of probation for mailing injurious articles and causing a firearm to be present in a federal facility, U.S. Attorney Wendy J. Olson announced.  As part of her sentence, Chief U.S. District Judge B. Lynn Winmill ordered Bachart to serve 200 hours of community service, pay $3,397.28 in restitution and pay a $1,000 fine.  Bachart pleaded guilty to the crimes on May 12, 2015.

According to the plea agreement, on December 2, 2014, Bachart deposited a package containing a handgun and ammunition into the mail at the United States Postal Service in McCall, Idaho.  The package was addressed to a location in Windsor, Connecticut.  The U.S. Postal Service transported the package for delivery.  While in route to Connecticut, the package arrived at a processing and distribution center in Springfield, Massachusetts.  When a U.S. Postal Service employee picked up the package for further distribution, the handgun, which was a loaded Ruger Blackhawk .357 revolver, discharged while in the hands of the employee.  The employee was not seriously injured, but sought medical attention due to ringing ears and stinging hands.  When the police officers opened the package, they discovered the loaded revolver with additional ammunition and other items.  U.S. Postal Inspectors and agents with the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives contacted the intended recipient in Connecticut who confirmed Bachart mailed the package.  A U.S. Postal Inspector and a Police Officer with McCall Police Department later interviewed Bachart who admitted to sending the package containing the revolver.  Bachart denied knowing the firearm was loaded and stated she did not intend to hurt anyone.

During sentencing, Judge Winmill noted that Bachart did not intend to hurt anyone and made a mistake.  However, he cautioned her about the tragic loss of life that could have occurred.  Federal law prohibits the mailing of concealable firearms, except under limited circumstances as prescribed in the U.S. Postal Service regulations.  Federal law also prohibits the mailing of ammunition.

This case was investigated by United States Postal Service Inspection Service in Boise, Idaho, Springfield, Massachusetts, and Windsor, Connecticut; Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives; McCall Police Department; and Springfield Police Department.