A special agent with the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives (ATF) allegedly stole guns and stockpiles of cigarettes from the agency with the intention of selling them for his own financial benefit, according to a federal indictment unsealed on Wednesday.
In a 20-count indictment, 43 year old Virginia resident Clifford Dean Posey has been charged with wire fraud, embezzlement, possessing stolen firearms, making false statements and money laundering.
According to the press release, Posey frequently came into contact with guns and cigarettes as part of his duties as a special agent. However, in 2007, he allegedly began falsifying documents so he could keep the goods for himself. In written reports, he claimed that firearms were released to owners or destroyed, while he’s accused of actually taking them for himself. In one case, he’s alleged to have advertised guns he had taken from ATF stockpiles for sale.
In the summer of 2010, Posey was the lead agent in an undercover tobacco investigation. According to the indictment, Posey had access to a storage unit containing cigarettes intended to be used in undercover investigations. He allegedly stole cigarettes out of the unit and sold them on at least four separate occasions.
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