Copyright, The Republic, Columbus
INDIANAPOLIS — Ninety-eight pistols, 18 rifles, 11 AK-style rifles, six AR-style rifles, six revolvers and two shotguns.
Those weapons were among the more than 1,000 firearms that authorities say they seized from a North Vernon man who is accused of selling hundreds of thousands of dollars in guns without a license to two individuals who allegedly arranged to transport them to Mexico, according to federal court filings.
The U.S. Department of Justice announced Monday that a federal grand jury had indicted David Joseph Mull, 51, of North Vernon, one count of dealing firearms without a license, which carries a potential prison sentence of up to five years, three years of supervised release and a $250,000 fine.
Currently, Mull is on pretrial release after an initial hearing in U.S. District Court in Indianapolis earlier this week, according to the U.S. Attorney’s Office. A plea of not guilty was entered on Mull’s behalf, and a trial date has been set for Aug. 21.
Under the terms of the pretrial release, Mull must submit to supervision by the U.S. Pretrial Services Agency and is barred from possessing firearms or from traveling outside southern or central Indiana without prior approval.
Mull is being represented by Carmel attorney Guy Relford, who is the chief executive of The 2A Project, an organization that opposes any limitation or restriction on gun ownership for law-abiding citizens, according to its website.
The organization drafted a resolution that was used by others in an unsuccessful attempt in 2020 to persuade Bartholomew County officials to declare the county a Second Amendment sanctuary.
The indictment, which was filed June 20 but unsealed this week, alleges that Mull had been acquiring firearms from gun shows and individuals in southern Indiana and elsewhere to sell to, among others, two people identified as “Individual A” and “Individual B.”
For the complete story, see Thursday’s Republic.
