The debate over gun restrictions has been a central focus in politics forever it seems.

But the notion of selling guns in return for promised campaign donations is a new one. That’s what federal prosecutors accused former San Diego Sheriff’s Capt. Marco Garmo of doing in an indictment announced Friday.

Four others also were indicted, including jeweler Leo Hamel, who is well-known in the county’s business and political circles, and Sheriff’s Lt. Fred Magana. Both pleaded guilty to aiding and abetting.

A longtime firearms enthusiast, Hamel was a regular customer of Garmo’s, according to the indictment. Hamel told prosecutors Garmo’s political ambitions were tied to the gun- selling scheme.

“Part of the benefit that Garmo received in exchange for supplying Defendant (Hamel) with off roster firearms that he could not directly acquire himself was the prospect of Defendant’s future support for Garmo’s intended campaign for Sheriff of San Diego County,” according Hamel’s plea agreement.


Local legal and political experts said they could not recall ever hearing of a situation where gun sales — not just political positions about them — were made in return for campaign backing.

The law allows law enforcement officials to buy “off roster” firearms, weapons that are not on California’s list of approved guns for sale to the general public. They can be resold by officers, but there are tight restrictions. Garmo is accused of blowing way past those limits, not only violating the law but engaging in subterfuge to do so.

In the plea agreement, Hamel said he had purchased 18 guns from Garmo, and that the captain knew he was breaking the law as well.

The indictment says Garmo, a 27-year veteran of the Sheriff’s Department, had a similar arrangement with others, but did not identify them. Prosecutors made clear that the political support was to come in the form of campaign cash.


“The indictment describes Garmo’s business of firearms dealing as undertaken for both financial profit and to cultivate future donors for his anticipated campaign,” prosecutors said in a statement.

The indictments are big trouble for Garmo, Hamel and the others. But they also brought renewed attention to actions by Sheriff Bill Gore and former District Attorney Bonnie Dumanis.

The California Department of Justice investigated Garmo’s gun sales and afterward, in 2017, Gore issued a formal reprimand of Garmo for selling numerous guns without a federal firearms license. That license is required for anyone who sells more than five guns per year. Internal Sheriff’s Department records showed Garmo had bought and sold more than 150 weapons over several years, according to Jeff McDonald of The San Diego Union-Tribune.

On Friday, Gore said in a statement that after his internal investigation, the department alerted federal authorities.


FBI Assistant Special Agent in Charge Todd Hemmen said at a news conference Friday that the sheriff referred the matter to the FBI, and the FBI brought in the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives.

Initially, the case was sent to the District Attorney’s Office, but Dumanis declined to file charges and instead warned Garmo in a letter that he would be prosecuted if he violated the law again.

At a news conference, federal prosecutors wouldn’t comment on what Dumanis did or didn’t do, but they said the investigation continued to collect more evidence against Garmo after her warning, according to the Union-Tribune’s Kristina Davis.

Now the activities of Garmo and others have resulted in a broad federal indictment and headlines from coast to coast.


Cozy relationships abound in this case. Hamel had been an honorary deputy sheriff and contributed to the Deputy Sheriffs’ Association of San Diego County, a labor organization representing deputies. Garmo served as a director of the association.

Hamel has said he was not just a political supporter of Gore, but a friend. He once posted a photo of himself with the sheriff at one of his jewelry stores on his Instagram account. “San Diego County Sheriff Gore doing some Christmas shopping with his BFF Leo Hamel,” Hamel wrote.

Another one of those indicted on Friday, Waiel “Will” Anton, also was a Gore backer. He put a photo of himself with Gore on social media with the comment “supporting the re-election of our great sheriff, Sheriff Bill Gore. How lucky we are to have him.”

Both of those photos were recently re-posted on Twitter by Dave Myers, a former Sheriff’s Department commander who lost to Gore in last year’s election. According to emails to and from Myers when he was at the department in 2016, the sheriff’s senior command staff was aware that Garmo bought and sold at least 150 firearms over the years. During the election campaign, Myers claimed Gore “swept it under the rug” to avoid political damage.


The sheriff had said at the time the punishment was appropriate because Garmo apparently was unaware he needed a federal license. Federal agents said Garmo knew what he was doing.

“This is a classic firearms trafficking case,” said Carlos Canino, special agent in charge of ATF’s Los Angeles division.

Hamel’s lawyer, Michael Pancer, issued a statement following the indictment: “Mr. Hamel is pleased to have this matter behind him and he is satisfied with the agreement he has made with the government. This will allow him to get back to his family and continue to the businesses he enjoys along with his numerous community service activities.”

Garmo did not return a telephone call seeking comment.


U.S. Attorney Robert Brewer has recused himself from the case, but no explanation has been given as to why. He has recused himself before, notably from the prosecution of Rep. Duncan Hunter, who has been accused of spending campaign funds for personal uses. An attorney at Brewer’s former law firm is representing Hunter.

For months, news of the federal investigation into Garmo’s gun sales had been closely followed in East County, especially when Hamel’s business and Jamul home were searched by federal agents in February. The indictments on Friday struck like a thunderbolt.

“Locally, this is bigger than impeachment,” said consultant John Dadian.

It would seem a political future for Garmo is now out of the question. Federal prosecutors said at times he was running the gun operation out of his office in the Sheriff Department’s Rancho San Diego Station.


Even if he eventually goes to trial and is acquitted, Garmo would still have to explain on the campaign trail why he sold so many guns. Among the weapons were an AR-15-style rifle and an AK-47, according to prosecutors.

But running for sheriff or anything else may be the least of his concerns at the moment — especially with a would-be key supporter turning state’s evidence.