Former North Dakota police chief faces federal charges in alleged machine gun conspiracy

BALTIMORE — A federal grand jury has returned an indictment charging five defendants, including a former North Dakota police chief, with conspiracy to acquire machine guns and other firearms not normally allowed for sale in the United States.

James Sawyer, 50, who resigned as chief of police in Ray, North Dakota, in February of this year, is one of two police chiefs named in the indictment unsealed Thursday by the U.S. Attorney’s Office in Maryland. The other law enforcement officer charged is Matthew Hall, 53, chief of police in Coats, North Carolina.

According to the 26-count indictment, Hall and Sawyer are accused of conspiring with three businessmen. Sean Sullivan, 38, of Gambrills, Maryland, who was also an Intelligence Analyst with the Department of Homeland Security Investigations; Larry Vickers, 60, of Charlotte, North Carolina; and James Tafoya, 45, of Albuquerque, New Mexico. All three men ran firearms-related businesses in their respective cities.

The indictment alleges that beginning in at least June 2018 through at least March 2021, the defendants conspired to acquire machine guns and other firearms generally prohibited from sale in the U.S. (such as short-barreled rifles and automatic machine guns) by falsely representing that the firearms would be used for demonstration by law enforcement agencies, including the Coats Police Department and the Ray Police Department.

The indictment further alleges that Hall, Sawyer and other conspirators signed letters called “law letters” (also called “demo letters”) with no expectation that the weapons would ever be demonstrated to their respective law enforcement agencies. It also states that during Sawyer’s tenure as police chief, the city of Ray had a population of less than 1,000 people, with no SWAT team and only one sworn law enforcement officer, Sawyer himself.

The news release states, “The defendants allegedly intended to impermissibly import into the United States and resell the machine guns and other firearms for profit or to keep for their own use and enjoyment.”

Sullivan is accused of submitting the false law letters to the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives, seeking to import the restricted weapons. Once they were received, Sullivan is alleged to have kept some for himself and given the rest to Vickers, Tafoya, Hall and Sawyer.

Vickers, who is also a popular YouTube personality, pleaded guilty to the charges, plus another charge involving a foreign firearms manufacturer. He faces a maximum of 20 years in federal prison.

The indictment includes a text conversation between Vickers and Sawyer on August 6, 2018 after Sullivan asked Vickers if he’d mind “getting your chief to do a demo letter for me for a couple of prototypes.”

Vickers said he’d give it a try and messaged Chief Sawyer in North Dakota.

Vickers to Sawyer: Chief, my importer – who is a great guy, former Marine and has really done me Solid – asked me to ask you if you could do a demo letter for him as a favor to me I’d like to ask you to do it – normally I’d never ask for anyone else but he has went beyond for me. If your (sp) good with it I sent the letter template he needs to your email.

Sawyer to Vickers: I never would either. However, as a personal favor to you, I’ll make this one-time exception. You are the only one I’ve ever done these for because I consider you a good friend brother.

Vickers to Sawyer: Thanks. I really appreciate it. Consider this a one-time occurrence. One and Done.

Sawyer to Vickers: You got it brother. He owes you one now!

According to the indictment, from about August 2015 to August 2020, “Sawyer signed and submitted approximately 32 law letters that requested demonstration of approximately 73 firearms, of which number approximately 21 firearm weapons were imported by Sullivan.”

Sawyer faces one count of “Conspiracy to interfere with government functions and to violate federal law regulating firearms,” and another count of “Aiding and abetting in providing false statements.”

If convicted, Sullivan, Tafoya, Hall and Sawyer face a maximum of five years in federal prison.

Sawyer had served as police chief of Ray, a town of 720 people in northwestern North Dakota, since 2015 before resigning on February 13, 2023. In a letter he wrote to the Ray City Commission, he said resigning was one of the hardest things he’s ever had to do.

“However, my health has deteriorated to the point that I’m no longer fit for the position and I will be medically retiring from law enforcement entirely,” he wrote.

He said he planned to move “back home to Alabama” to concentrate on his health.

Sawyer is expected to appear in court at a later date.

Forum reporter April Baumgarten contributed to this reporting.

Tracy Briggs is an Emmy-nominated News, Lifestyle and History reporter with Forum Communications with more than 35 years of experience, in broadcast, print and digital journalism.