Arizona Man Charged For Selling Armor Piercing Ammunition To Las Vegas Route 91 Festival Shooter

LAS VEGAS, Nev. – An Arizona man was charged in U.S. District Court in Phoenix today for the manufacture and sale of armor piercing ammunition without a license. He allegedly sold ammunition to Stephen Paddock, who was later identified as the perpetrator of the October 1, 2017 mass shooting in Las Vegas, announced United States Attorney Dayle Elieson of the District of Nevada and Special Agent in Charge Aaron C. Rouse of the FBI’s Las Vegas Division.

Douglas Haig, 55, of Mesa, Ariz., is charged in a criminal complaint with one-count of conspiracy to manufacture and sell armor piercing ammunition. He appeared this afternoon before U.S. District Court Magistrate Judge Michelle H. Burns and was released on a bond with conditions pending a status conference regarding scheduling of a preliminary hearing on Feb. 15 in Phoenix. If convicted, he faces the statutory maximum penalty of five years in prison, a $250,000 fine, or both.

According to the criminal complaint, Haig met with Paddock on more than one occasion. Paddock met Haig at his home in September of 2017 to purchase ammunition. Haig previously operated “Specialized Military Ammunition,” an Internet business selling high explosive armor piercing incendiary ammunition, armor piercing incendiary ammunition, and armor piercing ammunition. Business records reveal that Haig sold armor piercing ammunition throughout the U.S., including Nevada, Texas, Virginia, Wyoming, and South Carolina. Haig did not have a license to manufacture armor piercing ammunition.

During an interview, Haig told investigators that he reloads ammunition, but does not offer reloaded cartridges for sale to his customers and none of the ammunition recovered in Las Vegas crime scenes would have tool marks on them consistent with his reloading equipment. Reloaded ammunition refers to ammunition that is manufactured from component parts, including previously fired cartridge cases. Based on a forensic examination of rounds recovered in the shooter’s hotel rooms, Haig’s fingerprints were found on reloaded, unfired .308 caliber cartridges. Forensic examination also revealed that armor piercing ammunition recovered inside of the shooter’s rooms had tool marks consistent with Haig’s reloading equipment.

The public is reminded that a criminal complaint contains only a charge and is not evidence of guilt. The defendant is presumed innocent until proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt in a court of law.

The investigation is being conducted by the FBI’s Las Vegas Division with assistance from the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms, and Explosives and the Las Vegas Metropolitan Police Department. The case is being prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorneys Cristina D. Silva, Patrick Burns, and Nicholas D. Dickinson.

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