Gun dealer who became star is sent to prison for six years
A Wheat Ridge gun dealer who became a Discovery Channel reality TV star was sentenced to 78 months in prison Thursday for failing to report $1.1 million in income to the IRS, conspiracy and dealing firearms without a license.
Richard Wyatt, 54, was found guilty last year in U.S. District Court on 10 felony counts.
Wyatt secured a lucrative contract with the Discovery Channel to star in a television show, “American Guns,” about his shop Gunsmoke Guns. Wyatt was paid $500,000 for the 26 episodes in 2011 and 2012 that featured him, his wife, two children and employees.
Wyatt’s attorney Brian Leedy argued for a 2K-year sentence for his client. As an example of why Wyatt’s sentence should be less than what the U.S. attorneys sought, Leedy said Wyatt’s loss of ability to exercise the Second Amendment, which protects the right to bear arms, due to his felony convictions was a punishment “as severe as could be imagined aside from incarceration.”
Wyatt said he thought his reality show would put firearms in a positive light in America during divisive times.
“But I got in a little bit over my head,” Wyatt said. “The pressure of it. The places I got to go and the people I got to meet … I drank the KoolAid and I thought I was special.”
Wyatt apologized for what his wrongful actions have done to his family, friends and the community. Chief Judge Marcia Krieger asked Wyatt to clarify what he felt he did wrong.
“I didn’t do the paperwork,” Wyatt said. “I didn’t pay my fair share.”
As she explained the reasoning for the 6½-year sentence Krieger said Wyatt appeared to be remorseful only about the consequences he’s dealing with and not for his actions.
Wyatt entered an agreement with the federal Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives to relinquish his federal firearms license in 2012.
Court records indicated Wyatt kept Gunsmoke Guns running by conspiring with the owner of a Castle Rock gun store, Triggers, to operate under a straw license.
When Triggers also surrendered its firearms license, Wyatt conspired with other gun dealers to keep his business afloat, records indicated. His customers would buy a gun at Gunsmoke and then go to other stores for criminal background checks and to pick up their weapons.
Two undercover ATF agents wore body cameras while they purchased four guns from Wyatt on three occasions, court records indicated.
In March 2015, ATF agents seized 583 guns and ammunition from Wyatt’s shop.
Wyatt’s attorney pointed to his client’s previous stint in law enforcement to show Wyatt’s good character. The U.S. attorneys and Krieger agreed this made Wyatt’s crimes worse because it underscored his knowing disregard for the law.
The case, Krieger said, had “elements of fraud, greed and arrogance that says, ‘I’m above the law.’ ”
“Mr. Wyatt,” Krieger said, “you are not.”