Staff report
Indianapolis, Ind. – July 10, 2023
INDIANAPOLIS – David Joseph Mull, a 51-year-old resident of North Vernon, Indiana, has been indicted by a federal grand jury on one count of engaging in an unlicensed firearm dealing business, according to the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Southern District of Indiana.
The indictment alleges that Mull sold more than 500 firearms to Individual A for a total of over $350,000. Additionally, he allegedly sold 90 firearms to Individual B for a sum of $56,850. Mull is said to have acquired the firearms from gun shows and subsequently sold them to various individuals. It is further alleged that Mull was aware that the firearms he sold would be transported to Mexico.
On May 25, 2016, the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives (ATF) issued Mull a cease-and-desist letter, informing him that engaging in the business of dealing firearms without a license was illegal.
During a firearms sale on March 9, 2023, Individual B questioned Mull about the absence of a physical business location, to which Mull responded, “Like a store? I don’t want nobody to know. I’m probably like you, I don’t want nobody to know about it. Hopefully we can continue to do a bunch of business; I’ll keep on getting stuff.”
U.S. Attorney Zachary A. Myers for the Southern District of Indiana, Special Agent in Charge Daryl S. McCormick of the ATF Columbus Field Division, Special Agent in Charge Justin Campbell of IRS Criminal Investigation in the Chicago Field Office, and Assistant Special Agent in Charge Michael Gannon of the DEA’s Indianapolis Field Office jointly announced the charges.
U.S. Attorney Myers emphasized the Department of Justice’s focus on firearms trafficking investigations, as they contribute to violence both domestically and internationally. Myers pledged continued collaboration with the ATF, IRS, DEA, and other law enforcement agencies to vigorously investigate and prosecute illegal gun trafficking.
The case was investigated by the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives, the Internal Revenue Service, and the Drug Enforcement Administration. If convicted, Mull could face a maximum of five years in federal prison. The government also intends to seize over 1,000 firearms that were confiscated from Mull as they were involved in the alleged offense. The ultimate sentence will be determined by a federal district court judge, considering the U.S. Sentencing Guidelines and other statutory factors.
U.S. Attorney Myers expressed gratitude to Assistant United States Attorneys Kelsey L. Massa and Michelle P. Brady, who are handling the prosecution of the case.
This case is part of an Organized Crime Drug Enforcement Task Force (OCDETF) investigation. OCDETF adopts a prosecutor-led, intelligence-driven, multi-agency approach to identify, disrupt, and dismantle high-level drug traffickers, money launderers, gangs, and transnational criminal organizations posing a threat to the United States.
It is important to note that an indictment or criminal complaint only represents allegations, and all defendants are presumed innocent until proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt in a court of law.
