Leimert Park gun dealer accused of selling items meant for police to a civilian

For years, neighborhood activists had complained that the warehouses stocked with weapons and military equipment didn’t belong in Leimert Park, a South Los Angeles commercial district trying to rebuild its reputation as a hub of African American arts and culture.

And for years, city officials said there was nothing they could do. Neighborhood rules banned gun shops, but Botach Tactical had opened before those rules were imposed.

Now the firearms dealer who runs the company, BarKochba Botach, is facing criminal charges that he let a civilian buy guns and ammunition magazines using an exemption meant for police officers. If Botach is convicted of both charges, he could be punished with up to 1 1/2 years in county jail and up to $1,000 in fines, according to city officials.

The charges, announced by Los Angeles City Atty. Mike Feuer on Tuesday, raised hopes among some community leaders that the business could be dislodged.

“I hope it will hasten his departure,” said Clint Rosemond, who helps convene the Leimert Park Village and Crenshaw Corridor Stakeholders Group. “The heart of the issue is that he should be operating that business somewhere else.”

City prosecutors allege that BarKochba Botach improperly sold two 9-millimeter pistols last October to community college security officer Amelia Suarez by giving her an exemption that should only be available to sworn law enforcement personnel.

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Though Suarez was employed by the Los Angeles County Sheriff’s Department to serve West Los Angeles College as a security officer, she was working as a civilian. Under city rules, she shouldn’t have been allowed to buy more than one handgun within a 30-day period, according to the city complaint.

Under the same exemption, officials said, Botach also sold Suarez ammunition magazines that can hold 17 rounds each — a violation of state law.

Botach did not respond to emailed requests for comment Monday and Tuesday morning. Phone calls to his business were answered with a recorded message that said it was closed Monday and Tuesday for a religious holiday.

Feuer said the filing of those charges would not shut down the business.

But he said the city might be able to take more steps to regulate its operations, depending on the outcome of the case and any future investigations. City Council President Herb Wesson, who represents the Leimert Park area, said the criminal charges could give officials a new chance to negotiate with Botach Tactical over relocating to “a more appropriate location.”

Suarez also faces charges, including that she falsely claimed she was buying both guns for herself but transferred one to a friend without going through the proper process. City officials said the friend used the gun in a Riverside County homicide, but said law enforcement had asked them not to release details.

The Times was unable to reach Suarez for comment. Sheriff’s Department spokeswoman Nicole Nishida said Suarez had been relieved of duty last week.

In Leimert Park, community members have long complained that the blocked windows and barren storefronts of Botach Tactical are out of place in a business district that is poised for revival, with a new Metro stop and other improvements on the way. The online retailer has expanded its footprint in Leimert Park over time, buying up a string of storefronts to stock equipment.

“It’s not a compatible business for a community trying to rebuild,” said Sherri Franklin, who is involved with the Leimert Park Village 20|20 Vision Initiative.

Botach Tactical survived past attempts to shut the firm down: Building department officials said that despite a neighborhood ban on gun shops, the business could keep operating because it was established before the restrictions were imposed. Botach Tactical has said only law enforcement and military personnel were allowed inside its facility.

But after the news broke Tuesday, Rosemond and other community members said the allegations confirmed their fears that the weapons sold inside the shop would end up in the wrong hands.

As of August, Botach held a federal permit to import machine guns and other destructive devices, which a Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives spokeswoman said could be revoked if he is convicted.

Follow @LATimesEmily and @AngelJennings on Twitter for breaking Los Angeles news.

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