U.S. District Court Judge rejects Cabela’s attempt to move the Delaware Attorney General’s investigation into ammunition theft to federal court.
State investigators believe that at least 500,000 rounds of ammunition were stolen from the Cabela’s Christiana location in less than a year - with a substantial portion of it sold to criminals in the region.
Last summer, Attorney General Kathy Jennings asked Delaware Superior Court to enforce a subpoena against Cabelas after she said the company failed to substantively respond to the request after more than three months.
The Delaware Department of Justice is seeking to see Cabela's records and loss prevention policies.
The company attempted to move the case to federal court, but Delaware District Court Judge Richard Andrews rejected the request, saying Cabelas and its parent company “lacked an objectively reasonable basis for removal.”
The investigation was sent back to the Superior Court, and the Delaware DOJ’s request for legal fees was granted.
The investigation began over reports that large amounts of ammunition were being stolen from the Christiana location. DOJ says it was stored in an unsecured location and Cabela's made no apparent effort to stop the shoplifting.
DOJ is investigating whether Cabela’s violated various laws, including the Keshall “KeKe” Anderson Safe Firearms Sales Act, which repeals special immunity granted to gun dealers like Cabela’s under state law.
