NORTH VERNON, Ind. – A Jennings County man facing charges of selling firearms without a license and allegedly aiding in their transport to Mexico has secured a delay in his trial. David Joseph Mull’s trial, originally scheduled for February 26, has now been postponed to August 19, as confirmed by U.S. District Judge James R. Sweeney II. Mull’s attorney, Guy Relford, requested the delay in order to evaluate any potential plea agreement offered by federal prosecutors, who agreed to the postponement.
Federal prosecutors had previously sought the forfeiture of over 1,000 guns, hundreds of rounds of ammunition, and an SUV from Mull. The indictment against Mull, filed in June, accuses him of illegally dealing firearms without a license. According to the indictment, Mull acquired firearms from gun shows and individuals in southern Indiana and sold them to various buyers, including two individuals identified as “Individual A” and “Individual B.”
From September 2019 to March 2023, Mull allegedly sold over 500 guns to Individual A for a total of more than $350,000. In February, Mull learned that Individual A and Individual B had transported the guns he sold to New York for eventual transportation to Mexico. Their alleged plan prompted Mull to contact Individual B for another sale, offering an assortment of firearms. Individual B informed Mull that there was a buyer in Mexico interested in the guns, leading to the sale of around 90 firearms for $56,850.
An image included in the indictment shows the trunk of Individual B’s vehicle nearly full with guns, including an assault rifle. Authorities claim to have seized 141 weapons from Mull, including pistols, rifles, AK-style rifles, AR-style rifles, revolvers, and shotguns. During the sale, Individual B questioned why Mull did not have a physical store, to which Mull replied, “Like a store? I don’t want nobody to know. I’m probably like you, I don’t want nobody to know about it.” Mull also expressed a desire to continue doing business with Individual B.
Mull is currently on pretrial release and has pleaded not guilty. As a condition of his release, he must be supervised by the U.S. Pretrial Services Agency and is prohibited from possessing firearms or traveling outside of southern or central Indiana without prior approval. Mull’s attorney, Guy Relford, is the CEO of The 2A Project, an organization advocating for unrestricted gun ownership for law-abiding citizens.
It should be noted that this is not Mull’s first encounter with law enforcement. In 2016, the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms, and Explosives issued him a warning notice regarding unlicensed firearms dealing. Mull’s prior history may factor into the ongoing legal proceedings.