No, it wasn't me with the tommy gun in the 911. . .

[Porsche-O-Phile]

http://www.presstelegram.com/ci_7595479



Tommy Gun lands man in jail
By Kristopher Hanson, Staff writer
Article Launched: 11/29/2007 09:10:04 PM PST

LONG BEACH - Maybe he's a big Al Capone fan?

A Nevada man is facing federal weapons charges after agents caught him trying to sneak a disassembled Prohibition-era "Tommy Gun" through the Port of Long Beach.

The infamous Thompson submachine gun, capable of firing more than 900 rounds per minute and popular with both gangsters and police between the 1920s and 1940s, is a prized collector's item.

The weapon discovered in the port was hidden inside a Porsche 911 being shipped from Germany and owned by 43-year-old Peter Scharf.

Scharf, arrested Tuesday, was indicted in a federal courthouse in Los Angeles Thursday before being released on $50,000 bail.

Transportation and ownership of such weapons requires special licenses from the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco and Firearms, authorities said.

The Tommy Gun, also known as the "Chicago Typewriter," was a favorite of Prohibition-era outlaws and was the weapon of choice during the infamous 1929 Saint Valentine's Day Massacre in Chicago, where seven men were killed in a gangland attack.

Customs agents discovered the gun hidden in blankets and stashed inside the Porsche, which was being transported in a shipping container, said Immigration and Customs Enforcement spokeswoman Virginia Kice.

Authorities believe Scharf may have been trying to add the gun to a personal weapon collection.

"These guns are apparently very popular with collectors because of their colorful history," Kice said.

[RickM]

Boy, I didn't think they were worth that much trouble.

[on2wheels52]

The gun may be worth more than the car. I wonder how much he shot it in Germany (like it wouldn't attract any attention in the states).
Jim

[onlycafe]

i wonder if they will try to confiscate the car as well?

[red-beard]

It would be cheaper to buy one and pay the transfer tax.

OTOH, they are not allowed in the Peoples Republic of Kalifornia