August 31, 2016
Report: former sheriff sold 30+ county guns
By JILL DENNING GACKLE
BHG News Service
BHG News Service
Although the former McLean County sheriff was sentenced earlier this month to a misdemeanor for making false statements in the purchase of firearms, he was also investigated on two felony charges.
Former McLean County Sheriff Don Charging was investigated for circumventing federal excise taxes and theft of property by embezzlement, according to recently released records of the North Dakota Attorney General’s office.
Charging pleaded guilty to using false statements on official paperwork to purchase firearms. He was ordered to pay a $325 fine and was sentenced to one year unsupervised probation. Charging retired in 2014 after 16 years in office and lives in New Town.
More than 30 guns were purchased by Charging, circumventing the Federal Excise Taxes, and using deception, according to a N.D. Bureau of Investigation report to the attorney general’s office. Four M4 Bushmaster .223 assault riles and four M&P Shield Smith & Wesson .40 caliber handguns were also obtained by Charging, never paid for and not found in the county’s inventory, the report said.
Large amounts of ammunition – including one purchase of more than 26,000 rounds in February 2014 – were also purchased although “almost no ammunition” was in possession of the sheriff’s department after Charging left, it said in a statement from the current sheriff in the report.
Former McLean County Sheriff Don Charging was investigated for circumventing federal excise taxes and theft of property by embezzlement, according to recently released records of the North Dakota Attorney General’s office.
Charging pleaded guilty to using false statements on official paperwork to purchase firearms. He was ordered to pay a $325 fine and was sentenced to one year unsupervised probation. Charging retired in 2014 after 16 years in office and lives in New Town.
More than 30 guns were purchased by Charging, circumventing the Federal Excise Taxes, and using deception, according to a N.D. Bureau of Investigation report to the attorney general’s office. Four M4 Bushmaster .223 assault riles and four M&P Shield Smith & Wesson .40 caliber handguns were also obtained by Charging, never paid for and not found in the county’s inventory, the report said.
Large amounts of ammunition – including one purchase of more than 26,000 rounds in February 2014 – were also purchased although “almost no ammunition” was in possession of the sheriff’s department after Charging left, it said in a statement from the current sheriff in the report.
