ATF agents find dumpster filled with guns in Oklahoma, say some were given away as wall decor

The Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco and Firearms announced this week it had a uncovered dumpster in Midwest City, Oklahoma, that contained almost 250 rifles and shotguns, and that some had been given away to local residents as wall décor for their home.

According to ATF, a sanitation worker contacted the bureau after stumbling upon the dumpster filled with firearms, prompting an investigation. Agents filed a complaint and an application for a search warrant in January, and confirmed the sanitation workers’ findings. According to the court documents, the investigation found that the owner of the International Firearm Corporation, Anthony Mussato, had been in touch with ATF regarding how to properly dispose of firearms in his possession that had a manufacturing defect. 

After being told to slice the firearms in three separate places before disposing of them, ATF reports the weapons were then transferred to the dumpster – some still in working order – by a teenage employee of the store. According to ATF agents, two men who saw the teen cutting and throwing out the weapons approached him and asked him if they could keep two of them to display on their walls at home. The employee reportedly agreed to allow the men to take two guns that had not been cut yet and two magazines for those weapons.

The ATF is asking for warrants to search Mussato’s home and other locations related to his business. The agency seeks to determine whether Mussato followed proper disposal protocols, and whether his employee provided guns to individuals without a background check.