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Police Arrest Big Stone Man Trying to Sell Machine Gun

From staff reports

Last week local law enforcement officers with assistance from the Southwest Virginia Drug Task Force arrested a Big Stone Gap man on gun-related charges.

Daniel Scott Gatley, 31, 115 Dogwood Terrace, Big Stone Gap, was arrested July 21 as the result of undercover operation to purchase a machine gun.

Scott County Sheriff John Puckett said his officers and members of the drug task force conducted the operation in an attempt to buy a fully-automatic machine gun.

According to Puckett, a police informant was able to purchase the gun from Gatley, who was arrested by county deputies and agents from the drug task force.

Following his arrest, the suspect was searched and a concealed handgun was found on his person.

Gatley was charged with possession of a machine gun, possession of a concealed weapon, removal of serial numbers from a gun and failure to register a machine gun with the Virginia State Police.

He is being held without bond in the Southwest Virginia Regional Jail in Duffield. He will make a court appearance on Aug. 21 at 9:30 a.m. in the Scott County General District Court.

Earlier in the month, officers with the Scott County's Sheriff's Department along with members of Southwest Virginia Drug Task Force conducted a similar buy operation in Weber City. But this time, law enforcement officers nabbed a Kingsport, Tenn. woman, who was attempting to sell prescription drugs.

Patricia Conard of Kingsport was arrested and charged with distribution of Schedule III and Schedule V drugs after an informant allegedly purchased 40 Lortab pills and 40 Somas from her for $440.

According to police officials, Conard also possessed two Suboxone pills (Schedule III), 35-1/2 more Lortab pills and 44 more Somas. In all, police recovered a total of 84-1/2 pills of Lortab and 84 Somas as part of the undercover operation.

Conard was released on $2,500 unsecured bond. Details of her upcoming court appearances were unavailable at press time.

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