After three U.S. Army soldiers were accused of conspiring to buy firearms in Tennessee and illegally sell them in Chicago, two local activists are calling for politicians to come up with new legislation to screen people joining the armed services.
Tio Hardiman, executive director of Violence Interrupters, and Paul McKinley, of Voice of the Ex-Offender, held a news conference outside Chicago police headquarters on Tuesday in response to a criminal complaint filed May 10 against Demarcus Adams, 21, Jarius Brunson, 22, and Brandon Miller, 22, soldiers stationed at Fort Campbell in Clarksville, Tennessee. They were charged with multiple offenses, including wire fraud, transferring a firearm to an out-of-state resident, money laundering, conspiracy and other gun-related counts, according to the complaint.
If convicted, the soldiers face up to 20 years in prison, according to a news release from the U.S. Department of Justice.
“I’m asking members of Congress to organize and work on some new type of legislation to make sure that we screen people that want to join the armed services,” Hardiman said. “And the (Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives) should do a better job at intercepting the illegal gun traffic in here, which results in people being killed on the streets of Chicago.”
Hardiman said he planned to reach out to several politicians including Sen. Dick Durbin and U.S. Reps. Danny Davis, Jan Schakowsky and Mike Quigley, who represent parts of Chicago.
Hardiman had unsuccessful runs for the Democratic nomination for Illinois governor in 2018 and 2014. Hardiman is also the former director of CeaseFire, now known as Cure Violence, where he served from 2009 to 2013 until he was arrested on a domestic battery charge, which was later dismissed by a Cook County judge.
McKinley also had an unsuccessful run as a GOP candidate for Congress in 2013.
The federal investigation began when Chicago police recovered firearms after a shooting that killed one man and injured seven people just after midnight on March 26 on the Southwest Side, the complaint said. At least two people opened fire at a gathering in the 2500 block of West 79th Street.
Of the weapons recovered at the scene, five were found to have been purchased from dealers in the Clarksville area by Adams, Brunson, Miller and a fourth man who has not been charged, the complaint said.
Federal agents determined that the three soldiers bought about 91 firearms in Tennessee and Kentucky between September and April, according to the complaint.
“Those 90 guns have been traced to some killings in Chicago,” Hardiman said. “That’s what I’m talking about. So it’s unacceptable, and I’m standing up as a community leader letting the whole world know we have to bring an end to this type of crazy stuff taking place out here.”
This article is written by Paige Fry from Chicago Tribune and was legally licensed via the Tribune Content Agency through the Industry Dive publisher network. Please direct all licensing questions to [email protected].
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