HPD recovered gun I bought at gun show worried about claiming it.

[Duncan.45]

First let me say how glad I am I found this site and hope I can find some help with my two issues.

First off years ago in 99 or 2000 I went to Pasadena gun show looking to replace a Colt govt model I had stolen.

Anyhow I run into a guy I played football with back in high school who was selling a nice govt model that needed a new finish.

I picked the colt up for around $300-350 can't really remember. I take it to have it parkerized pick it up a month later and that night its stolen out of my truck. What luck right.

Well the Houston police recover it and my cell phone so they call me. Don't remember the story exactly but they recovered it and have it for me to pick up.

I end up going offshore to work come back and go through a divorce so I forget about it and assume it was destroyed or auctioned. Then I get a call years later HPD has it still and I'm thrilled. Well I have to talk to homicide they have a hold on it.

Well me and homicide can never connect I forget about it again until recently. I call its still there homicide still has a hold on I talk to homicide sergeant he says he will get back with me. I am going to call back Monday.

Turns out the guy I bought it from is in prison now for some really major things I had no idea he was involved in. I mean I don't have serial # anymore and this may sound like the dumbest question but they aren't waiting for me to claim it and then arrest me for having a stolen weapon or anything.

Obviously if it was used in a shooting they wouldn't wait for me to pick it up. What if it was stolen or I don' t know? I did have a bill of sale but I don't know where it is now.

I guess I am a bit paranoid but I don't have the best luck check my next post about my other problem and it will help you to understand.

Any help would be greatly appreciated. This gun was recovered in 2001 I was amazed they still have it which makes worry more as well.

Sorry if this sounds completely ridiculous

 

[DirtyD]

Man, between this and the Uhaul post you have got to have some of the worst luck I have seen in a while....

 

[txinvestigator]

If they wanted to arrest you they would have. They have cars.

 

[Duncan.45]

Yes I understand they have cars.

My point is if the gun was stolen they have no way to link it to me. I didn't give them a serial #.

My concern was that I go down there say yeah thats my gun and then they say well its a stolen gun and your going to jail.

I have had some worse than bad luck lately and I honestly can't afford anymore.

 

[MadMo44Mag]

You have already "wrote it off" so to speak so if you are that worried tell them you don't want it back or just let sleeping dogs lay and go on with life!

 

[Duncan.45]

High cap I just saw that part about maybe it's time to get rid of the 1911s.

That borders on blasphemous.

I had planned to tell the officer the circumstances about who I bought the gun from etc. You read my other post so perhaps you can understand my apprehension to risk another round with the legal system.

They want to win at all costs. Well I did get a dismissal but it did take months and thousands of dollars. Had I not had the money to fight I hate to think what might have happened.


Thanks

 

[Duncan.45]

You have already "wrote it off" so to speak so if you are that worried tell them you don't want it back or just let sleeping dogs lay and go on with life!

I have considered this but I really do want it back. Im just hoping someone that knows will say you don't have a thing to worry about.

 

[GM.Chief]

Honestly, if you want this over with, you just have to go down there. No one on here can tell you anything unless they happen to be one of the LEO's at that department. Why not? Well, while there are many LEO's on this site, they do not necessarily live or work in your area, nor can they therefore be familiar with the circumstances surrounding your situation. Honestly, if they wanted to arrest you, you'd be in jail. More than likely you're going to go there, spend a little bit of time, and then go home with your gun. Then again, I'm boat trash, not a LEO and can't guarantee you anything. Go get your gun and stop delaying. There's no excuse for leaving a perfectly good gun lying around in disuse.

 

[Texas1911]

If they wanted to arrest you they would have. They have cars.

Without the serial # I don't see why they would release it to you. I've always been under the assumption that unless you have proof of ownership and the serial number you won't get it back.

As far as the gun being stolen, there is no law that states you have the responsibility to ensure that the gun was not stolen when you purchased it. Assuming you bought the gun lawfully and with moral intentions, if it gets brought up just state that you bought the gun with honest intentions and did not believe that the gun was stolen.

I really, really doubt they are lying in wait for you to waltz into the police station. If you were an accessory in a felony murder case, they would have simply picked you up a while back. At the most they will probably ask you some questions about it's theft.

 

[kingofwylietx]

I tend to think that if they know who you are, and they wanted you, they would have stopped by in person to give you a ride. Since they are letting you know that they have the gun, I'd have to assume that you can just go get it. They may want to confirm who you got if from and under what circumstances.

 

[Duncan.45]

Without the serial # I don't see why they would release it to you. I've always been under the assumption that unless you have proof of ownership and the serial number you won't get it back.

It was recovered with my cell phone and stereo out of my truck. They called me before I ever knew I had been robbed I made a police report over the phone I believe.

They caught these guys in the middle of the night involved in some other crime I believe. I listed to them what was stolen out of my truck seems like these thiefs had a large load of stolen goods when they were caught so they asked me what had been stolen from me.

 

[Duncan.45]

I tend to think that if they know who you are, and they wanted you, they would have stopped by in person to give you a ride. Since they are letting you know that they have the gun, I'd have to assume that you can just go get it. They may want to confirm who you got if from and under what circumstances.

I tend to agree unless me going and claiming that gun is the only way they can absolutely link it to me.

The strange thing is homicide has a hold on it and I absolutley know that if it was involved in a homicide they would have snatched me for a ride immediately.

Unless it was involved in a homicide the night it was stolen, but then how could they have been able to release it to me at that point?

 

[txinvestigator]

Yes I understand they have cars.

My point is if the gun was stolen they have no way to link it to me. I didn't give them a serial #.

My concern was that I go down there say yeah thats my gun and then they say well its a stolen gun and your going to jail.

Again, if you were a suspect you would know it.

And why would they arrest you?

 

[txinvestigator]

I have considered this but I really do want it back. Im just hoping someone that knows will say you don't have a thing to worry about.

I already told you. Good grief, want me to go get the gun too?

 

[Nate C]

Yes I understand they have cars.

My point is if the gun was stolen they have no way to link it to me. I didn't give them a serial #.

My concern was that I go down there say yeah thats my gun and then they say well its a stolen gun and your going to jail.

I have had some worse than bad luck lately and I honestly can't afford anymore.

Well, since you already put it all over the internet, you really don't have anything to lose by going down there and talking to them. If you didn't know it was stolen when you bought it, you don't have anything to worry about anyhow.

Don't go down there trying to sling bs if you knew different, though.

 

[ROGER4314]

Heck, if you didn't feel like something was wrong with the purchase and that was your legally owned property, then I'd march right in there and claim my pistol.

I'm confused about the part where you don't have proof of ownership or even the S/N. If you can't prove that it is yours and can't properly identify it, it's a lost cause and it's time to write it off.

My gut says there might have been more to the story. If the seller has a record, then he might not have been eligible to own the pistol anyway. If he used the gun in a crime, that may hook you into the crime after the fact. The fact that you hesitate to reclaim the pistol tells me that something was wrong with the purchase to begin with.

I loaned some money to a friend I worked with. He was hurting and it was close to pay day. I ended up quitting the job before he paid the money back and in spite of my contacting him, he has stiffed me for the money.

I can whip his ass, trash his car or do 100 other things to get even with him OR chalk it up to a learning experience and let it go. That's what I'm going to do. Folks will play heck trying to borrow money from me again. Lesson learned.

Applying that lesson to your situation............ There are people that you should NEVER buy anything from. There are people that you should NEVER sell anything to. Lesson learned.

Flash

 

[Duncan.45]

Alright Txinvestigator I plan to head down there and pick it up.

Roger- When I originally talked to HPD I believe I had the serial # on my receipt for having it parkerized and I did have a bill of sale back then as well.

I doubt honestly the seller had a record at the time we were both around 21 back in 99 when I bought the gun. He just ended up in the drug life, which when I found out came as a shock to me. Bill of sale had his license # etc.

I didn't hesitate to pick it up. I had just started working offshore got called to go off came home caught my EX wife in bed literally with a "good friend" of mine and it got pushed down the list of things to do.

I figured I waited to long when I next thought about it then years later the pd called me. I talked to one division they said I had to have it released by homicide who had a hold on it I called the officer dozens of times he was always going to call me back etc. Thats when I found out the seller was on trial for manufacturing crystal meth, organized crime, and forgot what all else.

Anyway I will head on down next week after I stop by harris county court house and give it a go. I really just needed a little reassurance and I got it.

Thanks guys.

 

[TxEMTP69]

If they wanted to arrest you they would have. They have cars.

I too about ruined my keyboard when I read that

 

[TxEMTP69]

I doubt honestly the seller had a record at the time we were both around 21 back in 99 when I bought the gun. He just ended up in the drug life, which when I found out came as a shock to me. Bill of sale had his license # etc.

... Thats when I found out the seller was on trial for manufacturing crystal meth, organized crime, and forgot what all else.

I doubt his criminal career started after he turned 21, just my

 

[ss1]

Good luck !