Jury Sees Secret Fbi Videotape Illegal Gun Conversion Shown At Federal Conspiracy Trial

One of the defendants in an anti-government conspiracy trial was secretly videotaped showing an undercover FBI agent how to convert a semiautomatic assault-style rifle to an illegal automatic weapon.

U.S. District Court jurors on Friday saw Gary Marvin Kuehnoel, 48, of Bellingham making the conversion on a government videotape recorded July 11.

FBI agent Michael German, who used the alias “Rock,” testified that Kuehnoel converted two rifles for him, one that German bought at a pawn shop and one he bought at a gun shop. German ordered the parts to make the conversions from a mail-order catalog.

That same day, another defendant, Marlin Lane Mack, 24, of Bellingham brought a dart blow gun to German to store at a warehouse German had rented.

“He wanted to see if he could put poison on the darts and use it as an assassination weapon,” German testified.

Mack and Kuehnoel are among seven defendants named in an 18-count indictment that accuses all of them of conspiring against the government. Several also face weapons counts.

Prosecutors contend the defendants were members of or associated with the Washington State Militia or the Freemen.

Defense lawyers contend their clients were loyal Americans entrapped by German and an FBI informant, who posed as a militia member.

The other defendants are Washington State Militia leader John Pitner, 45, of Deming; Frederick Benjamin Fisher, 61, of Bellingham, the militia’s assistant director; Tracy Lee Brown, also known as William Smith, 55, of Seattle; John Lloyd Kirk, 56, of Tukwila; and his wife, Judy Carol Kirk, 54.

Also Friday, German testified that on July 17 he met with John Kirk and Smith to discuss their interest in obtaining munitions such as grenades.

German told the men he had a source who could provide for $50 each a limited number of fragmenting and incendiary grenades and Claymore mines.

A few days later, German took samples of the grenades and the mine to Fisher’s house. The men can be heard on audiotape discussing the munitions. Mack and Fisher’s wife, Mary Ann, also were there.

Friday’s court session was cut short because one of the defense lawyers was ill. Trial will resume Monday with German on the witness stand.