BOSTON -- Three public employees are under investigation after 25 Investigates revealed their involvement in illegal gun raffles on Facebook.
Meanwhile, law enforcement officials are demanding to know how some of the prohibited firearm prizes got into Massachusetts in the first place.
The Hanover Fire Department, the Massachusetts Trial Courts, and the Bristol County Sheriff have each opened internal investigations after 25 Investigates found employees of those public agencies were actively involved in a secret group that raffled off hundreds of high-powered guns online.
The Bristol County Sheriff's Office has opened an investigation into K-9 Officer Kenneth Almeida, while Hanover firefighter Chris Pratt was placed on paid leave.
>>PREVIOUS: 25 Investigates: Secret group illegally raffling off high-powered guns on Facebook
“This is an ongoing personnel situation,” said Hanover Fire Chief Jeffrey Blanchard. “We are actively investigating. The firefighter has been placed on paid administrative leave and we will comment as soon as appropriate.”
Chris Resendes, an employee of the Massachusetts Trial Court Community Service Program, has also been placed on paid administrative leave “pending a review of his alleged activity,” according to a spokeswoman for the state Probation Department.
Where did the guns come from?
Investigative Reporter Eric Rasmussen exposed some of the raffled off guns, such as a Beretta ARX100 rifle, aren’t even legal to own in Massachusetts without first making safety modifications, according to guidelines from the state Attorney General’s Office.
Now, some in law enforcement want to know where the firearms came from as 25 Investigates uncovers at least two local gun shops helped transfer some of the gun prizes.
In Facebook postings and videos, raffle organizers named two federally licensed gun shops where winners were instructed to pick up their gun prizes – Troy City Tactical in Fall River and Bourne Bridge Guns and Ammo on Cape Cod.
The gun shops’ involvement raises questions, according to Bristol County Sheriff Thomas Hodgson.
“The question, first of all is, is this being put on a raffle directly from a gun shop?,” said Hodgson.
Massachusetts doesn’t allow a gun buyer to purchase a prohibited firearm from a dealer and then sells or transfers that same gun to another person, according to a spokesman for the state Firearms Record Bureau.
It’s unclear if the gun shops were involved directly in any of the Facebook raffles and the owners of both gun shops have declined repeated requests for comment for this story.
Boston mayor calls for investigation
Boston Mayor Marty Walsh said after seeing 25 Investigates’ report, he wants to know if any of the guns from the secret raffles ended up in Boston.
“We’re doing our own little internal investigation to see what exactly what this means and who these groups are,” said Walsh. “I support people’s right to bear arms, but I want to make sure that when they’re bearing arms, they’re legitimate, legal gun owners and they’re bringing in legal, legitimate guns.”
The organizers of the secret gun raffle group have repeatedly declined to comment.
But on Tuesday, but one of the raffle organizers, Chris Pratt, wrote a message on Investigative Reporter Eric Rasmussen’s Facebook page, insisting the group followed all laws regarding firearms “to the letter.”
That comment was later deleted.
25 Investigates found the secret group has raffled off hundreds of high-powered guns – including more than 30 guns prizes in less than two weeks.
What the law says
State law allows gun owners to sell or transfer firearms online through a webpage run by the Massachusetts Firearms Record Bureau.
But sellers who use the online portal – instead of a gun transfers through a federally licensed gun shop – are limited to just four personal firearm transfers per calendar year, according to state gun law.
Those who sell more than four guns in a year without the help of a licensed firearm dealer could face fines up to $10,000 in fines or up to 10 years in prison, Massachusetts law states.
Some of the gun raffle group organizers pushed members to evade tax law by using an option meant for “friends and family” on the money transfer site PayPal, writing on one occasion, “NO NOTES! No one wants to get hit with a 1099” tax form.
25 Investigates also discovered it’s illegal to hold a raffle of any kind in Massachusetts unless you’re an active non-profit that’s been operating for at least two years, according to state law.
Maybe that’s why 25 Investigates found so many of the Facebook posts referring to “waffles” – not raffles – and selling tickets for “doll hairs” instead of dollars.
The secret group also skirted the social media site’s algorithms blocking certain content by misspelling certain words, posting a raffle for an AK-47 assault rifle as “Ayyy Kayy 4 7” and misspelling the name of another rifle as “Beerrreeetttaaa”
Facebook shut down the secret pages and PayPal closed the accounts of some of the organizers after 25 Investigates contacted the companies.
But while it was still operating, the secret group held a gun drawing to pump the cash proceeds from one raffle into the coffers of Republican state attorney general candidate Dan Shores.
A spokesman for the state Office of Campaign and Political Finance said the agency does not have a comment on 25 Investigates’ findings. As a matter of policy, OCPF does not confirm or deny the existence of an investigation, according to the spokesman.
Shores’ campaign manager previously released a statement to 25 Investigates, stating, “The Shores Committee has consulted the Office of Campaign and Political Finance (OCPF) and determined that, based on the information it currently has, all contributions accepted to date are compliant with state laws. The Committee rigorously examines each contribution it receives to ensure compliance. At no time did the Committee or a representative request that an auction of any kind be held. The Committee in no way supports or condones any such activity that is not in accordance with the law. For more information regarding compliance with state political fundraising regulations, please contact OCPF.”