At an ATF office this morning...

Agent Jigga Booh: "Excuse me, sir. A tiny red light on this old dusty console has been blinking all morning. What does it mean?"

Agent Mike Hunt: "My God, it works. The system works! A criminal actually tried to purchase a handgun via the criminal background check"...

Murder suspect arrested while trying to buy gun

BY MIKE HOLTZCLAW | 757-928-6479 10:37 AM EDT, October 22, 2008
Barry Cleveland Roberts, 46, is being held in the Norfolk City Jail and is awaiting extradition to Maryland. The Baltimore Police Department said Roberts was wanted on a homicide charge related to the Oct. 12 shooting death of 18-year-old Darius Burton on a Baltimore street.

Virginia State Police said Roberts filled out an application on Tuesday to buy a gun at Bob's Gun and Tackle in Norfolk. The background check turned up an outstanding warrant in Maryland. (Courtesy of Norfolk police / October 22, 2008)

NORFOLK - A man was arrested in Norfolk on Tuesday after he attempted to purchase a gun and the background check turned up an outstanding warrant in Maryland charging him with homicide.

Barry Cleveland Roberts, 46, is being held in the Norfolk City Jail and is awaiting extradition to Maryland. A spokesman for the Baltimore Police Department said Roberts was wanted on a homicide charge related to the Oct. 12 shooting death of 18-year-old Darius Burton on a Baltimore street.

Sgt. Michelle Cotten, a spokeswoman for Virginia State Police, said Roberts filled out an application on Tuesday to purchase a gun at Bob's Gun and Tackle on Granby Street. The background check by the State Police Firearms Transaction Center in Richmond turned up the outstanding warrant in Maryland.

Cotten said state troopers and a Norfolk police officer arranged to be at the store when Roberts returned later that day to purchase his gun. When he arrived at the store, the troopers arrested him without incident.

http://www.dailypress.com/news/dp-now-norfmurder.o22,0,7141114.story