Back in 2010, the FBI arrested 21 people, including executives of the Smith and Wesson company, very publicly at the Shot Show (an annual convention of people and businesses in the hunting, outdoors and firearms industry), accusing them of multiple violations of the Foreign Corrupt Practices Act. 

Now this:

In February the FBI dropped the charges. Miller & Chevalier wrote in their Spring Review, published in April of this year, that the FBI informant central to the case was described by the defense as “a cocaine addict, tax cheat, and admitted thief of millions of dollars” …

So in summery, the BATFE and FBI made a high profile raid during SHOT Show to arrest a 21 gun industry people. Their case was hinged on the word of a thief, druggie and all round morally bankrupt individual. Bistrong got just 18 months while the accused spent two years fighting their case.

Meanwhile, the arrested people have spent two years under threat, have had their reputations besmirched, and have been forced to spend who knows how much money to defend themselves from these baseless accusations! 

 Truly, there needs to be some sort of significant personal penalty for federal prosecutors and judges who allow this sort of outrage to, first, get started, and second, to go on for so long.

Some additional good news on a related front.