A Canadian citizen who has been living here illegally since 2005 and selling real estate on Hawaii island admitted in U.S. District Court that he sold assault rifles to an undercover police officer and another person last year.
Douglas James Leopold, 50, pleaded guilty Thursday to two counts of being an illegal alien in possession of a firearm.
Leopold, president and owner of Sun and Sea Realty, faces maximum 10-year prison terms for each of the two charges at his sentencing in March. After completing his sentence, he also faces deportation.
On Nov. 27, 2005, Leopold’s nonimmigrant visa expired, but he remained in the United States. Since then he has been convicted in state court of DUI and harassment.
He has also had his state real estate license suspended after being accused of failing to maintain licensing requirements pertaining to compliance with licensing law or rule, disclosure of disciplinary action, and compliance with laws governing professional conduct.
Since 2011 a former employee and the state Regulated Industries Complaints Office have informed the U.S. Department of Homeland Security that Leopold may be residing in the country illegally.
What eventually drew the attention of federal investigators, however, were fliers Leopold distributed offering assault rifles for sale. Leopold dropped off one of the fliers last March at a tactical equipment and clothing shop in Kailua-Kona. The shop is owned by the wife of a Hawaii County police officer.
Federal agents from the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives and Homeland Security Investigations and officers from the Hawaii County Police Department began investigating Leopold and arrested him in July. They also seized two shotguns, 11 semiautomatic assault rifles, parts for four more assault rifles, a hunting rifle, two handguns and 130 boxes of ammunition from Leopold’s Kailua-Kona home.
Investigators later discovered that Leopold had already sold assault rifles to four people before selling one to the undercover police officer and that he had failed to disclose theft and escape convictions in Canada when he applied for his first nonimmigrant visa in 2000.
