Springs tattoo shop sold drugs, machine guns
By Kirk Mitchell
The Denver Post
Article Last Updated: 06/13/2008 01:25:47 PM MDT
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Phillip McCall (upper left), Clayson Pearce, Benjamin Vanorum, Jennifer McNeil (bottom left), Ryan Middleton, and Ralph McNeil were arrested. (Colorado Springs Police)
Following an eight-month investigation, police and federal agents Thursday arrested six alleged members of a criminal ring that sold high-grade marijuana and machine guns out of a Colorado Springs tattoo parlor.
Phillip McCall, 35, was arrested on a federal charge of possession of a firearm by a convicted felon, and Clayson Pearce, 27, was arrested on a federal charge of possession of a machine gun, said Lt. Skip Arms, Colorado Springs police spokesman.
Jennifer McNeil, 32, and Ralph McNeil, 39, were arrested for allegedly selling hashish, and Benjamin Vanornum, 24, was arrested on drug charges, Arms said.
Ryan Middleton, 27, was arrested on a warrant for failing to appear in court, he said.
More than 100 Colorado Springs police officers, sheriff's deputies from Teller and El Paso counties and agents from the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco and Firearms and Explosives confiscated drugs, money and equipment to make machine guns during raids Thursday at addresses across Colorado Springs.
In November 2007, ATF agents and local detectives and El Paso County sheriff's investigators began investigating whether employees at Shrap Metal Tattoo, 2928 Parker St., were selling drugs and firearms out of the shop, Arms said.
Undercover detectives bought firearms, including AK-47 type machine guns and high-grade marijuana from several suspects.
On Thursday, undercover agents arrested Pearce after he allegedly sold three machine guns and two military-style ballistic vests in the Citadel Mall parking lot, Arms said.
ATF's Special Response Team served a search warrant at two homes in Florissant where they confiscated two firearms, and a parts kit to manufacture an AK-47 type machine gun.
Agents arrested McCall and confiscated drug paraphernalia, a firearm and money at the tattoo parlor.
They arrested the McNeils at 825 Valkenburg Dr., where they found 42 grams of marijuana, 62 grams of hashish, and 17 grams of mushrooms, Arms said.
Detectives found equipment used to manufacture machine guns inside an employee's toolbox at Precision Motors, 316 East Fillmore St., he said.
Sheriff's SWAT team members found 74 firearms including two machine guns and two silencers at 30855 Vorenberg Road in Calhan, Arms said.
The home is owned by Shrap Metal Tattoo owner Shawn Jackson, he said. Charges against Jackson are pending, he said.
Kirk Mitchell: 303-954-1206 or
kmitchell@denverpost.com
