Man charged with selling machine guns to have a psychiatric evaluation

Danville Register & Bee
Published: May 14, 2008

The Gretna man charged with illegally manufacturing and selling machine guns at his house is being detained pending a psychiatric evaluation. 

Jack Randolph Scott, 64, was arrested April 29 at his house at 3761 Rockford School Road in Gretna.

Authorities from the Pittsylvania County Sheriff’s Office, Danville Police Department and the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco and Firearms assisted in the case.

District Court Magistrate Michael Urbanski ordered Scott’s detention during the suspect’s initial hearing in Roanoke on May 1, said Brian McGinn, public affairs specialist with the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Western District of Virginia.

The purpose of the psychiatric examination is to determine whether Scott is a danger to himself or others. McGinn said he did not know where Scott is being held.

Scott’s next hearing will be set following the evaluation’s results, McGinn said. 

Scott had been the focus of an undercover investigation since late last year for suspicion of making and selling numerous machine guns. The search warrant named Scott’s address and a shop located on the premises where the alleged firearms were milled and assembled.

Scott was arrested on a number of federal violations, including manufacturing or dealing in firearms without a license; nonpayment of the special occupational tax required for his business or registering as required by law; possessing or transferring a machine gun; possessing a machine gun not registered to him as required by the National Firearms Legislation and Transfer Records; making and transferring a firearm in violation of the provision of chapter 53 of the Internal Revenue Code; and possessing firearms not identified by a serial number.

Investigators and agents assigned to the Violent Incident Proactive Enterprise Response task force, or VIPER, conducted the investigation