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Press Release

Gun Store Owner Convicted Of Firearms Violation

For Immediate Release
U.S. Attorney's Office, Southern District of Texas

VICTORIA, Texas – Garrett Vincent Riedesel, 25, of Victoria, has entered a guilty plea to one count of possession of an unregistered firearm, announced United States Attorney Kenneth Magidson.

Riedesel, a federal firearms licensee, owned Garrett’s Gun Vault in Victoria at the time of his arrest. The store is now closed.

Riedesel admitted he was in possession of a Remington Model 870, 12-gauge shotgun which had a barrel length of more than seven inches and an overall length of nearly 15 inches. A check of the National Firearms Registration and Transfer Record (NFRTR) revealed that the firearm was not registered to Riedesel. 

The investigation began after customers reported having trouble retrieving firearms that had been dropped off at Riedesel’s establishment for repair.

On March 13, 2014, a federal search warrant was executed at Garrett’s Gun Vault in Victoria. At that time, agents seized 117 firearms that were not properly logged into Riedesel’s acquisition and disposition books as required by federal law. Four of the weapons seized were required to be registered in the NFRTR, including the shotgun Riedesel admitted to possessing as part of his guilty plea today.  

Senior U.S. District Judge John D. Rainey has set sentencing for Oct. 6, 2014. At that time, Riedesel faces up to 10 years in federal prison and a possible $250,000 maximum fine. He was ordered to remain in custody pending that hearing.

This case was investigated by the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives and the Texas Department of Public Safety.  Assistant U.S. Attorney Patti Hubert Booth is prosecuting. 

Updated April 30, 2015