Hutto Ford sales manager accused of illegally working firearms at car dealership

HUTTO, Texas (KXAN) — The former standard revenue supervisor of Covert dealership in Hutto is struggling with a federal prison cost — accused of dealing a great deal a lot more than SUVs off the large amount.

Federal prosecutors say he was trafficking weapons.

Craig Aaron Tondre was arrested in April. He’s accused of working firearms without the need of a license. Investigators also say he wasn’t at it by itself.

A U.S. District Courtroom prison criticism submitted April 6 lays out the unlawful sales of many firearms by a chain of command.

According to arrest affidavits, Tondre was doing the job with another worker at the Covert dealership who is also a convicted felon, Joseph Ellard.

KXAN obtained Ellard’s scheduling picture from the Florida Department of Corrections of his arrest for 2nd degree murder in the 90s. Now, Ellard is charged with felon in possession of a firearm and a device gun.

By way of an elaborate investigation, Austin Police Division detectives and Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, and Firearms Austin Endeavor Pressure (ATF) brokers found out the gross sales happening at the dealership found at 1200 U.S. 79, which is south of Limmer Loop in Hutto.

According to the criticism, Ellard who utilised get the job done for Tondre is accused of offering multiple firearms, which includes a device gun and a tactical rifle, in addition ammunition and a silencer to undercover agents at the dealership again in February.

Tondre was not existing in the course of these unique promotions in which person firearms had been bought for countless numbers of pounds, but agents saw a black Ford Explorer regarded to belong to him both of those at the scene and at his property during surveillance. He was also later seen carrying an AR-model rifle out of his home and transporting it to the dealership, agents say.

On March 31, a purchase was organized at Tondre’s property, exactly where the man proclaiming to be doing the job below Tondre fulfilled an undercover detective. The agent reported seeing about 10 firearms and a do the job station, which later triggered Tondre’s arrest.

Tondre was booked into the Burnet County Jail on April 8, charged with working firearms without a license and has because bonded out. His attorney declined to comment at the time of this report.

In a statement on Wednesday, the Covert Auto Team released a statement, stating:

“Two workers who worked for Covert Ford Hutto had their employment terminated quickly soon after management was informed of their arrests on allegations of marketing unlawful firearms. Covert Ford Hutto was not mindful of any alleged illegal activity by these workers on our premises until eventually the time of arrest. At the time we acquired of the arrests, they were terminated. The steps of these previous staff do not reflect the values and company practices of Covert Ford Hutto. No member of management or possession realized of any illegal action prior to the arrests of the people today.”

Covert Auto Group