Utz stall owner guilty for selling guns with chips
They really were selling guns with their chips
When Stella Tsourakis' brother was busted by the feds in April on charges that he sold guns from his Lexington Market Utz potato chip stand (seen at left in a photo by The Sun's Kim Hairston), she went on the offensive. She protested her eviction from the market, started a petition drive and put signs on her stall: "This has nothing to do with ATF because no guns were found here."
On Tuesday, her brother the co-owner of the stall, Michael Papantonakis, pleaded guilty in federal court in Baltimore and was sentenced to 15 months in prison. I wonder how the people who signed the petitions feels now?
According to his guilty plea filed in court, Papantonakis, a former bounty hunter, used his girlfriend who worked at the stand, "to accept money on his behalf in exchange for firearms. One one occasion, [the girlfriend] was observed by law enforcement displaying a firearm behind the counter of the Utz stand and later, transferring another firearm in a plain paper bag from the stand. On another occasion, both the defendant and [his girlfriend] were observed transferring firearms to law enforcement officers from the loading dock of the Lexington Market."
Here is the plea agreement filed by the Maryland U.S. Attorney's Office:
The following statement of facts, if presented at trial, would prove beyond a reasonable doubt that from at least in or about September 2007 through on or about April 1, 2009, in the District
of Maryland and elsewhere, the Defendant, Michael Papantonakis, not being a licensed dealer of firearms within the meaning of Chapter 44, Title 18, United States Code, did knowingly and willfully engage in the business of dealing in firearms.
During the month of May 2007, Baltimore Police Department (“BPD”) Detective/Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives (“BATFE”) Task Force Officer James Bradley was contacted by BPD Detective Stephen Mahan who informed Detective Bradley that he had a confidential source (“CS”) who had been purchasing firearms and cocaine in Baltimore, Maryland from an individual later identified as the Defendant, Michael Papantonakis. At the time, the Defendant owned an Utz potato chip stand in the Lexington Market in Baltimore, Maryland.
As a result of this information, beginning on September 17, 2007, a confidential source of information and an undercover officer with the Baltimore Police Department spoke several times by telephone with the Defendant. Some of these phone calls were recorded. The purpose of the calls was to arrange for the purchase of firearms and ammunition from the Defendant. During the period of time alleged in the indictment, law enforcement officers and confidential sources of information acting at the behest of law enforcement, met with the Defendant on nine separate
occasions in order to purchase firearms and ammunition. The majority of these meetings occurred at the Defendant’s Utz stand at the Lexington Market in Baltimore, Maryland. During several of these meetings, the Defendant used his girlfriend Sharon Heberle, an employee of the stand, to accept money on his behalf in exchange for firearms. On one occasion Heberle was observed by law enforcement displaying a firearm behind the counter of the Utz stand and later, transferring another firearm in a plain paper bag from the stand. On another occasion, both the Defendant and Heberle were observed transferring firearms to law enforcement officers from the loading dock of the Lexington Market.
On April 1, 2009, a search and seizure warrant was executed at the Defendant’s residence at 1026 Boyd Street Baltimore, Maryland. Recovered from the residence were approximately thirteen firearms. Approximately fifteen firearms were sold by the Defendant during the period of September 2007 through on or about April 1, 2009. During this time, the Defendant was not a licensed dealer of firearms within the meaning of Chapter 44, Title 18, United States Code.
Comments
How very Baltimorean and about what I would expect in and around the Lexington Market. I like how the sister vehemently denied the charge and then the brother confessed- oops! Familial loyalty is admirable but open your eyes, sweetheart. They never think their brother/spouse/child could do it until the photos show 'em in action. I'd still buy chips from her- she didn't do anything wrong except exhibit blind loyalty. "I'd like to order a .22 BBQ please."
Posted by: C | September 23, 2009 5:46 PM
The guy got 15 months for selling guns? Must not be that bad of a crime. Or maybe it was just George Bush's fault. Yeah, that sounds good. George Bush's fault.
Posted by: Wastedyrs | September 28, 2009 11:02 PM
All that and a bag of chips.
Posted by: Ryan | September 30, 2009 10:17 AM
It's understandable that cash makes people disembarrass. But what to do if someone doesn't have money? The one way is to get the mortgage loans or short term loan.
Posted by: JEWELCoffey | May 15, 2010 11:25 PM