Second Nevada Gun Show Dealer Charged with Unlawful Dealing in Firearms
SACRAMENTO, Calif. — A federal grand jury returned a one-count indictment today against Brian Scheckla, 61, of Burney, charging him with unlawful dealing in firearms, U.S. Attorney McGregor W. Scott announced.
According to court documents, Brian Scheckla traveled to gun shows to sell guns despite not having a license to sell guns. In 2018, ATF served Scheckla with a cease and desist letter, advising him that he was unlawfully dealing in firearms without a license. Nevertheless, Scheckla continued to travel to 20 gun shows a year to sell guns in California, Arizona, Nevada, Oregon, and Idaho. A review of firearm purchase records for Scheckla revealed that Scheckla has been the initial purchaser of at least 10 firearms that have been recovered by law enforcement as part of criminal investigations in Manteca, Sacramento, Modesto, Vallejo, Elk Grove, Anderson, Ontario, and Rancho Cordova.
On Feb. 12, law enforcement officers executed a search warrant at Scheckla’s residence in Burney and seized over 200 firearms. On Oct. 17, Scheckla’s associate, Gary Osterhout was charged with unlawful dealing in firearms (2:19-cr-180-GEB). The charges are only allegations; the defendant is presumed innocent until and unless proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt.
This case is the product of an investigation by the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives. Assistant U.S. Attorney Justin Lee is prosecuting the case.
If convicted, Scheckla faces a maximum statutory penalty of five years in prison and a $250,000 fine. Any sentence, however, would be determined at the discretion of the court after consideration of any applicable statutory factors and the Federal Sentencing Guidelines, which take into account a number of variables. The charges are only allegations; the defendant is presumed innocent until and unless proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt.
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