How the ATF traced guns at crime scenes to St. Charles man
ST. CHARLES COUNTY, Mo. – Dozens of guns, found in the hands of people who should not have them, were recently traced to a 69-year-old St. Charles man.
According to the ATF, its investigation uncovered the underground firearm industry’s connections to numerous crime scenes, including one involving a man who was under court order to receive mental health treatment.
Harry Trueblood had no comment when he walked out of federal court a convicted felon for his gun sales. During a March 4 court hearing, a federal prosecutor said ATF traced 250 of Trueblood’s gun sales, linking 40 of them to crimes. That’s one out of every six.
“ATF actually put the dots together when they uncovered a particular gun from a particular person in another investigation,” prosecutor Jennifer Szczucinski said.
Trueblood, who’s listed as living on Clarence Drive in St. Charles, was building his own guns, according to court records. He was reportedly selling them at gun shows, including shows in St. Charles. The ATF reported tracing one of those guns to a man who had just been released from court-ordered mental treatment.
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Federal court records say Webster Groves police reported that a man was found with plastic bags of animal parts and that the man was then involuntarily committed to a mental hospital in June 2021. Court records say reputable gun stores denied the man a gun purchase after his hospital release but Trueblood reportedly sold him one.
“That’s actually where ATF put those dots together: one of those guns, he was in possession of had originally been owned by Mr. Trueblood,” Szczucinski said.
Trueblood walked out of court this month with five years of probation.
The federal judge at sentencing told Trueblood in court, “You should be ashamed of yourself,” but the judge was bound by a prearranged deal that considered the defendant’s 69 years of age and zero criminal history.
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