5. Mark Witaschek
Mark Witaschek spent two years being prosecuted for having a misfired shotgun shell and a box of muzzleloader bullets in his Washington D.C. home. District police searched his residence twice for firearms at the request of a bitter ex-wife who claimed he kept guns in his DC home, but police never found any firearms. They did find, and charge, him for having bullets used in antique replica firearms. Muzzleloader bullets differ from “ammunition” because they are just the projectile and require a primer and gun powder in order to be fired. The prosecution refused to drop the charges against Witaschek and he was eventually found guilty of “attempted unlawful possession of ammunition”. Shortly after he was found guilty the Office of Tax & Revenue began an investigation into the businessman’s taxes. Witschek is appealing the ruling because muzzleloader bullets are not “ammunition” as defined by the law. He now has a weapons conviction on his record. In contrast, David Gregory, host of a tv show on MSNBC that I’ve never actually seen, was not prosecuted for possessing a high capacity magazine on live television in violation of DC law. Rules for thee but not for me, I suppose.
