So I have an AR 15 kit listed on Armslist, and I had someone contact me via email today and explicitly offer to trade narcotics for the kit. I emphatically declined and stated that I was only interested in legal transactions. So here is my question to the group, should I report this or just let it go. If you believe that I need to report it, to whom should I report?
Yeah, I'd report it. It's unlikely the cops are going to do anything about it, since setting up an undercover sting would take some work. If I were running the law enforcement agency, I'd ask YOU if you could wait a few days and then tell that dude you changed your mind and would take the drugs, so you'd be the bait that gets this guy busted. But, for liability reasons, I don't think LE agencies do that sort of thing anymore and involve private citizens (other than sleazeball confidential informants, who usually are no strangers to jail cells themselves) that deeply in criminal activity.
Maybe the agency would run their own ad with a similar item for sale. They could ignore or put off the offers that may come in until they get an offer to trade for narcotics.
I would pass it on, but I'm not going to be directed to do anything else. They need to handle it from there on out...or not handle it, but it would be out of my hands either way.
Report it to Armslist and ask them if there's anything they can do or is it up to you. Years ago I was using them to find a specific firearm and found it. But it was one of those "too good to be true" deals. Way below market price, send money to X but seller was in Y, etc. Guy was a scammer and they dealt with it. You're in the opposite position so I don't know what they'd do, if anything. If the "buyer" has an account with them perhaps they can do something since doing anything illegal is against their TOS.
So I submitted my info on this to the ATF a week ago, and nothing but crickets since then. So, you know, thanks to the ATF for keeping us all safe.
But you did get yourself on one of their lists somewhere. Probably as an FFL they need to keep an eye on.
Since this was more or less a drug deal and the Firearm was not traded for drugs the DEA may have been a better choice. The ATF may have become involved had the firearm been transferred to someone obviously prohibited from owning a firearm.
"a week ago" remember these are gov workers, they will get back to you this year sometime if the holidays don't interfere