Former sheriff under investigation
By STU MERRY
BHG News
Former McLean County Sheriff Don Charging is under investigation for purchasing and selling multiple assault rifles to individuals.
The purchases were allegedly made while Charging was sheriff and not for department use.
According to court documents filed July 25 in South Central District Court, while he was sheriff, Charging “willfully made a false written statement,” when he purchased firearms. That charge is a Class A misdemeanor, punishable by a maximum penalty of one year in prison, a $3,000 fine, or both.
According to an affidavit filed July 8 by Steve Gutknecht, supervisory special agent of the Bureau of Criminal Investigation, on Nov. 28, 2014 Charging traveled to Minot and purchased two Bushmaster M4A3 Type Patrolman’s Carbines from Sportsman’s Loft in Minot. The firearms are described as assault rifles.
