Date: Mon, 14 Feb 1994 20:35:38 -0600 (CST) From: "William W. Hughes" <[w--g--s] at [lonestar.utsa.edu]> Subject: Branch Davidian Trial Update - Saturday, 5 Feb 94 Branch Davidian Trial Update - Saturday, 5 Feb 94 [transcribed] Page 2C FEDS TESTIFY TO SECT'S PURCHASES OF UNUSUAL ARMS By John MacCormack Express-News Staff Writer The Branch Davidian murder-conspiracy trial broke for a week- end recess at noon Friday after a series of government witnesses testified about the group's purchases of exotic arms. Among the items gun dealers said had been purchased by sect leader David Koresh and his followers were two .50-caliber semiau- tomatic rifles, a variety of kits to convert smaller semiautomatic weapons to automatic, and various chemicals commonly used to manu- facture explosives. Government witnesses have said more than 50 fully automatic weapons were discovered in the ashes of the group's sprawling compound outside of Waco, which burned April 19, 1993, ending a 51-day siege. According to James Mazzon, an agent for the U.S. Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco and Firearms, who testified Friday, no one living at the compound had registered any of the automatic weapons, as is required by law. "People can possess a machine gun that is properly registered and properly transferred," Mazzon told the jury. "No machine guns, silencers or hand grenades were ever regis- tered," he said. Mazzon said he also had traced some of the automatic weapons found after the compound burned to purchases made by Paul Fatta and Brad Branch, two of the defendants, and to Vernon Howell, who was also known as David Koresh. However, he conceded under cross-examination, federal authori- ties cannot prove either Fatta or Branch illegally converted the semiautomatic weapons they bought to automatic firearms. All told, he said, buyers from the compound bought more than $260,000 worth of guns and accessories in the two years prior to the confrontation with government agents, according to sales docu- ments maintained by dealers. The jury also viewed a short demonstration video on how to field strip and operate a Barrett .50-caliber rifle. According to gun dealer Shawn Nelms, David Koresh purchased two of the $7,500 weapons from him in 1992 and had viewed the video. Dana Rogers of Paladin Enterprises in Boulder, Colo., later testified about a series of books sold by his firm to Jeff Little, a sect member who died in the fire. Among the volumes he said were shipped to Mount Carmel in 1992 were: "Backyard Rocketry: Converting Model Rockets into Explosive Missiles," "Hit Man: A Technical Manual for Independent Contrac- tors," "Improvised Land Mines," "Birth Certificate Fraud," and "Deadly Brew: Advanced Improvised Explosives." "(Hit Man) is a good seller for us, but I don't know the quantity we've sold," remarked Paladin. Throughout the morning, individual defense attorneys cross- examined witnesses in an attempt to minimize their clients' in- volvement in the massive acquisition of arms. Typical was the exchange between Douglas Tinker, representing defendant Brad Branch, and Mazzon: "Tell the ladies and gentlemen how much of the $262,000 is attributable to Brad Branch," asked Tinker. "Seven hundred and forty dollars," said Mazzon. The government is expected to take at least another week to complete the presentation of its case. Thus far, said one defense lawyer, federal prosecutors have fallen far short of proving their case. "The critical thing is that none of the people inside have testified that they (the defendants) were part of any conspiracy to kill, and that is the essence of the charge," said Dan Cogdill, who represents Clive Doyle. ========================= ADMINISTRIVIA ========================= KNOWN DISTRIBUTIONS USENET: talk.politics.guns, alt.politics.org.batf, alt.conspiracy, alt.politics.usa.misc & alt.politics.libertarian - author USENET: info.firearms.politics/mailing list Firearms Politics ([firearms politics] at [ns1.rutgers.edu]) - author Other networks - BIX: tojerry/inquest - Paul L. Schauble ([p l s] at [shell.portal.com]) FIDONET: DEBATE - Terry Goodman ([terry goodman] at [support.com] / Terry Goodman 1:102/837) FIDONET: CONTROVERSY - Terry Goodman FIDONET: LEGAL (non-backbone) - Lester Garrett (1:125/101) FIDONET: SMOKER (non-backbone) - Bill Bauer (1:147/32) Prodigy: Politics-Other, Subject; A.T.F. Waco - Jim Bell SmartNet: POLIPHIL - Lester Garrett (FIDO 1:125/101) The Patrick Henry League - a gun rights BBS network: - Paul L. Schauble KNOWN ARCHIVES The Powder Keg BBS, 707-427-1310, 14.4, 24H7D, directory WACO (SurvNet/PRNet 176:100/24, sysop Peter Nesbitt) The Soapbox BBS. 919-387-1152, 14.4, 24H7D, file area BATF (FIDO 1:151/142, sysop Stacy Powers [[p--we--s] at [rock.concert.net]]) Full access on first call, supports FREQ, FREQ FILES to get a list of all available files Anonymous ftp teetot.acusd.edu in directory /pub/Beelzebub/Politics/The_Tax_Cops/Waco/Trial service provided by Jerry Stratton ([j--r--y] at [teetot.acusd.edu]) =-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-= This Update of the Branch Davidian trial is based on or transcribed from articles published in the San Antonio Express-News. The origi- nal articles, and any sections quoted herein are copyrighted by the Express-News. The remainder of the summary is copyright 1994 by William W. Hughes. Copying of these summaries, either by hardcopy or electronic means, is authorized and encouraged, as long as this notice remains attached and intact. "I do not work for or represent the San Antonio Express-News" =-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-= [w--g--s] at [lonestar.utsa.edu] (William Hughes) | In memory of 85 un-charged, UTSA doesn't agree with me. They're wrong. | un-convicted victims of the U.S. St. Dismas' Infirmary for the Incurably | government in Waco, Texas - Informed [_Synners_, Pat Cadigan] | including over 20 children.