Two undercover ATF agents testified Monday in Chattanooga Federal Court that they paid visits to the residence of brothers Carl and Richard Monroe at Athens, Tn., to make gun purchases, including assault rifles.
The Monroes are standing trial in the courtroom of Judge Curtis Collier for a variety of gun charges, including dealing in guns without proper registration.
They were charged along with Jack Wardlaw and Kevin Dawson, who authorities say sold a gun to Jesse Mathews, who pleaded guilty to killing Chattanooga Police Sgt.
Tim Chapin.
A female agent said she went to the Monroes' residence posing as the girlfriend of a confidential informant, who said he was a convicted felon.
She told of finding Carl Monroe waiting for them outside his home with a revolver in his hand - not aimed at them, but ready to be sold to them.
She said inside the residence there were revolvers on a couch and several long guns in the living room.
The agent told of Carl Monroe referring to numerous women who came to him to buy guns for protection.
The witness said she was wired with a tape recorder, and the jury heard the conversation with Carl Monroe.
Another agent said he was asked to visit the Monroes to inquire about assault rifles. He said he was wired not only with a tape recorder, but also had a video recorder in his watch. The jury was shown a jerky video that at times displayed the forms of the two Monroes.
He told of buying a Cobray Mac 11 from Carl Monroe last April, and of also visiting Richard Monroe in a nearby workshop for a discussion of other assault rifles. He told the brothers that he and his buddies would "take our toys" and go shooting on the weekends. He said some of the buddies might be interested in buying some of the ARs.
At one point the agent slipped and introduced himself by his real name, then he quickly inserted his assumed name. The Monroes did not seem to catch the slip.
Carl Monroe told the agent he "wouldn't have a fully automatic assault rifle within 100 miles of him." He said that would prompt the government to come after him.
The agent said the brothers told him about an attachment for assault rifles, and he said he went back to his truck to ask another agent if those were legal. The answer he got was that they were.