Federal agents have arrested a Denver man accused of providing firearms to convicted felons.
Conard Kern, 27, is being charged with multiple counts related to gun trafficking.
If convicted, Kern faces a maximum sentence of 10 years in federal prison and up to a $250,000 fine for each of the two counts of unlawfully selling or otherwise disposing of a firearm to a convicted felon.
Thursday’s arrest by agents from the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives followed an investigation into the illegal trafficking, altering and selling of high-powered firearms from Lakewood gun stores.
In one instance, Kern, who worked as a part-time employee of G&G Guns, is accused of assisting a woman who stole two firearms from the gun store in the middle of the afternoon, walking out the front door.
According to an affidavit, Kern would obtain weapons from various sources. He would modify some of the guns, including obliterating serial numbers. In the case of two weapons, he converted them from semiautomatic to fully automatic.
He would then sell those weapons to convicted felons.
Kern made his first appearance in court Friday and was advised of the charges. He is set to return Wednesday for a preliminary hearing.
“The ATF will not tolerate the trafficking of illegal firearms into our communities,” said Marvin Richardson, special agent in charge of the Denver ATF, in a released statement. “We will continue with our mission in keeping the public safe by investigating all firearm-related violent crime and arresting those who place the public in danger.”
The ATF worked in conjunction with the Lakewood Police Department in the investigation.
“The partnership of the law-enforcement agencies involved was instrumental in solving these crimes and stopping the individual from committing more offenses,” Lakewood’s police chief, Kevin Paletta, said in the statement.
