Alcoa man accused of selling more than 100 guns illegally after undercover investigation
Marsh was accused in the documents of not just selling guns illegally, but selling illegal weapons like machine guns.
ALCOA, Tenn. (WVLT) - A warrant has been filed against an Alcoa man after an investigation from the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives found that he had sold more than 100 guns illegally, according to court documents obtained by WVLT News.
According to investigators, Richard Heath Marsh has been selling guns as an unlicensed seller for almost two years. The documents outline an undercover investigation into Marsh, dating all the way back to Aug. 10, 2021.
Marsh was accused in the documents of not just selling guns illegally, but selling illegal weapons like machine guns.
The investigation was sparked by a tip from Harvey’s Pistol and Pawn, a dealer in Knoxville, that said Marsh had bought multiple guns from the store. Following the tip, ATF investigators traced the guns that Marsh had purchased, finding that some of them were connected to crimes as early as 39 days after Marsh had bought them.
ATF investigators also found a post on Facebook from Marsh, the documents said, listing several gun boxes and titled “New Empty Container $15.” Investigators said they messaged Marsh and organized a sale, and an undercover agent met with Marsh behind a gas station (at Marsh’s request, who did not want people to see the sale), before speaking with Marsh at his home, still posing as a possible buyer.
Over the course of several months, the undercover ATF agent organized more sales with Marsh and other agents spoke with another man who had previously been arrested during an ATF investigation, Desmon Moore.
Moore told investigators, according to the court documents, that he had bought more than 100 guns from Marsh, 20 at a time.
“Moore further advised that MARSH ran the firearm sales like a business and was ‘all about making his money,’” the documents said.
Marsh was charged with dealing/manufacturing firearms with a federal firearms license, possession of a machine gun, possession of an unregistered NFA firearm and transferring a firearm in violation of the NFA.
Copyright 2023 WVLT. All rights reserved.