John E. Childress Acting United States Attorney for the Southern District of Indiana | U.S. Attorney for the Southern District of Indiana
David Joseph Mull, a 52-year-old resident of North Vernon, Indiana, has been sentenced to four years in federal prison followed by two years of supervised release. Mull pleaded guilty to unlicensed dealing in firearms.
Court documents reveal that Mull sold hundreds of firearms illegally without obtaining the necessary federal firearms license (FFL). In 2016, he received a cease-and-desist letter from the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives (ATF), instructing him to acquire an FFL to legally sell firearms. Despite this warning, Mull continued his unlicensed operations.
Mull avoided detection by purchasing firearms from private sellers at gun shows instead of from FFLs. This allowed him to bypass the requirement for multiple sales reports and record-keeping obligations associated with licensed dealers. His primary customer was involved in illegal firearms trafficking across state lines, with weapons eventually transported to Mexico. Between 2019 and 2023, Mull sold over 500 firearms to this customer for approximately $350,000 in cash.
During the same period, Mull operated an online business selling around 800 firearms throughout the United States for a total of $174,142.
John E. Childress, Acting U.S. Attorney for the Southern District of Indiana stated: “Illegal firearms dealers deliberately bypass background checks and record-keeping laws intended to prevent guns from falling into the wrong hands.” He emphasized that such activities contribute to cartel violence and drug trade crimes that affect communities across borders.
Thomas A. Greco, Acting Special Agent in Charge of ATF’s Columbus Field Division remarked: “Anyone who engages in the business of selling firearms is required to have a license and follow regulations ensuring those firearms are not going to individuals who are prohibited from possessing them.”
The case was investigated by the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives and prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney Kelsey L. Massa. The sentence was handed down by U.S. District Judge James R. Sweeney II.
