Shelby County ‘Gun’ Shuffle – Hide the Queen

Shelby Co. (ECWd) –

Math, the basic tool used to solve problems.  Even the card shuffle game used to hide the queen can be solved with basic math for those willing to put the work into it.   The information on the Shelby County illegal gun sales is a culmination of record gathering over the last three-plus years and it’s clear the paper shuffle proves the public was lied to as to what really went down in the Shelby County Sheriff’s office and their illegal gun sales operations dating clear back to 2014.

Our initial request for guns sold by the former Shelby County Sheriff Done Koonce in 2018 initially resulted in a lie claiming no seized weapons were sold. It was proven a lie because their own records of what guns were seized were provided and it said right on them all guns were taken to Locked and Loaded.    After they realized we were not going away, they produced a record alleging 26 guns were sold and recovered shortly after our initial request.  However, the receipts for payment for guns purchased only reflect 24 guns being purchased, leaving 2 guns that were sold and alleged recovered but no clue who made those purchases. Those are in bold on the list at this link.  Couple that with the fact guns have allegedly found their way back into evidence that was not there under Koonce one would think the authorities who were supposed to make a charging decision would have done so by now.  Oh, wait, this is Illinois.

Every receipt provided for these illegal gun transactions reflects the name of the person providing money to the Sheriff’s Office and lists the reason such money was provided. In every case but 2, the receipts were for gun purchases.   The two that are problematic are the receipt for former Sheriff Don Koonce, who according to the receipt paid Shop with a Cop $1,500.00, and former Under-Sheriff Rob McCall who paid $350.00 to Shop with a Cop.  Those two receipts do not reflect it was for a gun purchase like all the other receipts. (Copy of the receipts provided)

This is where it gets interesting. Of the guns sold, there are only 2 on the list that has no receipt reflecting who purchased those 2 guns.

The refund checks cut to Koonce and McCall have in the memo section a reference to guns purchased and transfer fee reimbursement. (Copy of Refund Checks)

Koonce Check – $1,750.00 – (Memo reads –“refund gun sale M9, SKS rifle/reimb $50 fee”) – There is one receipt for Koonce showing a $200 payment for an SKS rifle but no record of any M9 purchase and of the 2 gun sales not accounted for, neither is an M9. What M9 did Koonce buy for $1,500.00, assuming he actually purchased such a gun?  Note there is no M9 listed on the seized weapons sold?

Rob McCall Refund Check  – $400.00 – (Memo reads – “refund gun sale / reimb $25. fee”)  How does a payment receipt for $350.00 and a single $25 transfer fee ($375.00 total), result in a $400.00 refund check?  What guns did McCall purchase, if any?  With one transfer fee, it would indicate one gun, leaving one gun on the list of alleged guns sold and recovered.   If that is the case, it would indicate that Koonce spent $1,500.00 for a single gun? We do note that 1 of the 2 guns sold to someone is a CMP Rifle with a Scope.  If that was a CMP M1 Garand rifle, depending on its grade, the value of that one gun could be well over $3,000.00, making a $1,500.00 price a great deal but we will never know unless people start singing again.

Maybe an audit of the Sheriff’s financials is in order as the law requires?  Oh, never mind, that has been ignored by most of the county board and referenced as something no other county is doing according to the State’s Attorney.

The claim that all guns have been accounted for is in dispute based on their own paper trail as the Swiss Schmidt 7.5 Swiss Ruben M1911 purchased by Jeff Meek was NOT listed on the recent inventory provided by the Sheriff.  I have asked the current Sheriff if he has put his eyes on this gun along with some other questions regarding what Koonce and McCall paid for considering it makes no mention of guns on two of those receipts. We will update in a future article as to what the response was if any.

The claim the gun sales were for a charity purpose to support the shop with a cop fails to hold water in light of what these people paid for them compared to the appraised value. The appraised value totaled $8,870.00 however as everyone can see, many guns were sold well below the appraised value.  Of the guns accounted for by sales records, the total value received based on the receipt book was $5,400.00, which does not include Koonce’s $1,500.00 receipt and McCall’s $350.00 receipt because there is no indication those receipts were in fact for guns.  If charity was truly the objective then why not auction them off to the highest bidder? Oh, wait, if they did that the word would be out that they are selling guns.  The truth of the matter is this was a self-serving gun grab in direct violation of at least 3 laws and they got caught. To date, no one has ever been held accountable.

While some people paid the appraised value, it’s clear Jeff Meek and Quincy Wood made out like bandits.

The appraised value of Jeff Meek’s 9 guns purchased was $2,420.00 of which he only paid $1,525.00. 

The appraised value of Quincy Wood’s 7 guns purchased was $3,350.00 of which he paid $2,550.00

The single receipt for Former Sheriff Don Koonce reflects he paid a whopping $200.00 for a gun appraised at $800.00, which equates to 25% percent of the value, the best deal in the house.

Past articles on this issue can be found at links here, here, and here.

Future articles on the Shelby County Sheriff’s Office will turn to the exposure of documented payroll malfeasance that is part of the criminal investigation by the Attorney General and Illinois State Police.