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Thursday, March 28, 2024 | Back issues
Courthouse News Service Courthouse News Service

Brink’s Wants to Depose BATF Honcho

DALLAS (CN) - Brink's wants to depose a director of the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives over the revocation of a federal firearms license that allows the armored car company to buy thousands of guns at a discount.

Brink's filed a petition for discovery in Federal Court, seeking to depose Megan Bennett, Director of Industry Operations for the BATF.

Brink's says it owns more than 14,000 guns, which are used by its 9,000 employees in 220 branches across the country.

Brink's says that after the BATF inspected its facility in Coppell, Texas in December 2010, it received a notice of revocation from Bennett.

It claims the revocation is illegal and against the BATF's own policies.

"In July 2004, the Office of Inspector General issued a report highlighting glaring problems within ATF prior to 2004, including but not limited to ATF's system of inspection, reporting, and enforcement which resulted in non-uniform and inconsistent treatment of FFL's with regard to adverse actions such as the revocation of licenses," the complaint states. "Following the July 2004 report, ATF implemented its National Federal Firearms License Adverse Action Policy which emphasized the importance of fairness and consistency when deciding whether it should revoke a license or take some lesser action."

Brink's claims that when it moved its operations to Coppell from Darien, Conn., in 2000, it applied for a new license. It says that violations found during inspections in in 2000 and 2002 did not result in administrative action and that no violations were found in subsequent inspections in 2005 and 2006.

"Brink's has never received an ATF Warning Letter, nor been asked to attend an ATF Warning Conference, at any time in the past," the complaint states.

Brink's says it has owned guns for its security services for more than 130 years.

A revocation hearing has been scheduled for Sept. 18. Brink's is represented by S. Gary Werley, in Granbury, Texas.

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