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CA gunsmith (Chaz Cheshire CC Gunsmithing) stole pistol, fled to Austin

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  • alyeh

    New Member
    Rating - 0%
    0   0   0
    Jun 19, 2022
    15
    11
    California
    Hey Texans, fellow 2A Californian here. I'm new to TGT and admittedly don't have much to contribute here except to share my experience with a thief gunsmith who now lives in Georgetown, TX (he works out of his home, per his FFL info his address is 301 Goldridge Dr Georgetown TX, link to this info is here, FFL EZ check also concurs: https://opengovus.com/firearms-license/5-74-491-01-2B-10374). I'll try to keep the details down to a minimum here but if you'd like to read the story in depth (warning it's long), a link to the thread in Calguns is here: https://www.calguns.net/calgunforum/showthread.php?t=1485903

    Back in 2017 I sent my Colt 1911 to a gunsmith in Northern California by the name of Chaz Cheshire, he runs a business called "CC Gunsmithing". Unbeknownst to me the guy had a growing reputation for doing a poor job, having a temper, and getting sued. If you'd like to read another Calguns contributor's nightmare experience with Chaz in 2015, link is here: https://www.calguns.net/calgunforum/showthread.php?t=1119782. There are also many other negative experiences strewn through Yelp, etc... although he has a habit of soliciting family members and friends to bury negative reviews with shill positive reviews.

    The project was supposed to have major rework done and the value of the pistol and new parts totaled around $1500 ($2,000 if you include the CA premium). Chaz told me in June 2017 it would take 3 months; he took a $160 deposit (apparently for "parts" though I had already supplied all parts) before work even started. Long story short, he kept delaying the project, citing his ailing parents, "hurting his foot", blaming his welder, etc... and when I pressed him for an update in 2018, he admitted he had barely completed a quarter of the project, done a pretty crappy job at it too, and apparently was in the process of fixing a "mistake" by "a welder he gave the gun to". In February 2018, I demand my gun back but he literally laughs at me, blocks and ghosts me and won't return any communication. I then report it stolen to Redwood City CA PD but they aren't much help. I was told by an officer that Chaz has previous misdemeanors and a history of fleeing from police and not appearing in court, so it's likely he knows just to not open the door. Since PD consider it a civil matter and don't have a warrant, they can't forcibly enter. Turns out that's exactly what happens.

    I sue him in small claims court but he still will not return it. A few months after suing him in May 2018 after trying to put a lien on his house and unsuccessfully trying to garnish his wages he sells his California home and moves to Texas. He's apparently unemployed and been so for years, so there are no wages to garnish and although the lien on his house is the correct address, he still lives with his mom and dad and the house is in their name, so they were able to sell the house to bypass the lien. FYI, to date I have not been able to either retrieve the pistol or get compensated so I'm out the entire value. After a full year of trying everything in the book to get my pistol back and with an unbelievable mental burden dealing with this, I resigned to the fact it would be highly unlikely to get it back especially since he lived halfway across the country. I had CA DOJ deregister the gun from my name in case it was used in a crime and basically waved the white flag.

    That was back in 2018. I assumed after moving back to Texas, Chaz would find another career. When this was more fresh in 2018, a search of "Chaz Cheshire" or "CC Gunsmithing" on Google would propagate tons of negative experiences and poor reviews. His business pages went quiet and his FFL expired in 2019 which led me to believe he was closing shop for good. And it did look like that was the case until just recently when a friend told me he noticed Chaz promoting his business on FB and Yelp again, alongside what appears to be local newspaper ad. A quick search also turns up a completely new FFL in Texas he obtained in 2019. It seems Chaz has taken advantage of lost interest in the matter and Google pushing back negative results to try and restart his business in Texas. Though I'm no longer as vested as I once was in retrieving the gun I do feel an obligation to warn as many people as possible about Chaz before he destroys another Texan's gun and burdens another Texan with the hellish experience and fatigue I endured trying to get my property back. This guy absolutely needs to be stopped and if there's one positive experience I can make of this, it would be finally shutting CC Gunsmithing down for good.

    Details of the pistol are below. Again it's not my priority in getting the gun back but if there's new suggestions as to which TX LEO or agency might be able to help, I still have a sliver of hope left. Note I haven't tried Texas PD or ATF so those are still possible opportunities.

    Brand/Type/Action/Cal./Model/Finished - Colt Mark IV Series 80 1911 Semi Auto Pistol 45 ACP
    Serial number - A70B38544. The "B" is extremely difficult to see and might be missed and reported as A7038544.
    Accessories/Finish/Barrel/Sights/Mag/Value - Extra Kart Barrel, Blued finish, 5" Barrel, OEM Sights + Add on Truglo Sights, numerous others

    Thanks all in advance!
    Capitol Armory ad
     

    Attachments

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    Last edited:

    Darkpriest667

    Actually Attends
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    9   0   0
    Jan 13, 2017
    4,489
    96
    Jarrell TX, United States
    Report the stolen gun to the ATF, and try to keep the California trash from moving here. We'd appreciate it. Make sure you list that the last person to possess the firearm was the man in question and make sure you have electronic or written proof of all communications with the defendant.

    I live 10 miles from Georgetown and do a lot of gun business here. I've never met nor heard of the guy. We'll extradite him back to california if we can.
     

    benenglish

    Just Another Boomer
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    7   0   0
    Nov 22, 2011
    23,932
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    Spring
    Welcome.

    If he's working as a gunsmith, he needs an FFL. AFAIK, the BATFE takes a dim view of FFL holders with a criminal record. Your post indicates he might have one.

    Too bad you're not local. Once you've perfected the lien locally, it's just a few short steps to towing away his vehicle(s). Unfortunately, it's likely far too costly to hire a local representative to do the work and they won't be dedicated to getting it done. So, yeah, you're kinda stuck.

    My sympathies.
     

    Axxe55

    Retiretgtshit stirrer
    Rating - 0%
    0   0   0
    Dec 15, 2019
    47,021
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    Lost in East Texas Elhart Texas
    From the OP's post:

    I report it stolen to Redwood City CA PD but they aren't much help. I was told by an officer that Chaz has previous misdemeanors and a history of fleeing from police and not appearing in court, so it's likely he knows just to not open the door. Since PD consider it a civil matter and don't have a warrant, they can't forcibly enter. Turns out that's exactly what happens.

    Reporting a pistol stolen isn't a civil matter, it's a criminal complaint. You might need to go a bit higher in the chain of command if an officer isn't taking a criminal complaint seriously.
     

    Sam7sf

    TGT Addict
    Lifetime Member
    Rating - 100%
    10   0   0
    Apr 13, 2018
    12,464
    96
    Texas
    Hey Texans, fellow 2A Californian here. I'm new to TGT and admittedly don't have much to contribute here except to share my experience with a thief gunsmith who now lives in Georgetown, TX (he works out of his home, per his FFL info the address is 301 Goldridge Dr Georgetown TX). I'll try to keep the details down to a minimum here but if you'd like to read the story in depth (warning it's long), a link to the thread in Calguns is here: https://www.calguns.net/calgunforum/showthread.php?t=1485903

    Back in 2017 I sent my Colt 1911 to a gunsmith in Northern California by the name of Chaz Cheshire, he runs a business called "CC Gunsmithing". Unbeknownst to me the guy had a growing reputation for doing a poor job, having a temper, and getting sued. If you'd like to read another Calguns contributor's nightmare experience with Chaz in 2015, link is here: https://www.calguns.net/calgunforum/showthread.php?t=1119782. There are also many other negative experiences strewn through Yelp, etc... although he has a habit of soliciting family members and friends to bury negative reviews with shill positive reviews.

    The project was supposed to have major rework done and the value of the pistol and new parts totaled around $1500 ($2,000 if you include the CA premium). Chaz told me in June 2017 it would take 3 months; he took a $160 deposit (apparently for "parts" though I had already supplied all parts) before work even started. Long story short, he kept delaying the project, citing his ailing parents, "hurting his foot", blaming his welder, etc... and when I pressed him for an update in 2018, he admitted he had barely completed a quarter of the project, done a pretty crappy job at it too, and apparently was in the process of fixing a "mistake" by "a welder he gave the gun to". In February 2018, I demand my gun back but he laughs, blocks and ghosts and won't return any communication. I report it stolen to Redwood City CA PD but they aren't much help. I was told by an officer that Chaz has previous misdemeanors and a history of fleeing from police and not appearing in court, so it's likely he knows just to not open the door. Since PD consider it a civil matter and don't have a warrant, they can't forcibly enter. Turns out that's exactly what happens.

    I sue him in small claims court but he still will not return it. A few months after suing him in May 2018 after trying to put a lien on his house and unsuccessfully trying to garnish his wages he sells his California home and moves to Texas. He's apparently unemployed and been so for years, so there are no wages to garnish and although the lien on his house is the correct address, he still lives with his mom and dad and the house is in their name, so they were able to sell the house to bypass the lien. FYI, to date I have not been able to either retrieve the pistol or get compensated so I'm out the entire value. After a full year of trying everything in the book to get my pistol back and with an unbelievable mental burden dealing with this, I resigned to the fact it would be highly unlikely to get it back especially since he lived halfway across the country. I had CA DOJ deregister the gun from my name in case it was used in a crime and basically waved the white flag.

    That was back in 2018. I assumed after moving back to Texas, Chaz would find another career. When this was more fresh in 2018, a search of "Chaz Cheshire" or "CC Gunsmithing" on Google would propagate tons of negative experiences and poor reviews. His business pages went quiet and his FFL expired in 2019 which led me to believe he was closing shop for good. And it did look like that was the case until just recently when a friend told me he noticed Chaz promoting his business on FB and Yelp again, alongside what appears to be local newspaper ad. A quick search also turns up a completely new FFL in Texas he obtained in 2019. It seems Chaz has taken advantage of lost interest in the matter and Google pushing back negative results to try and restart his business in Texas. Though I'm no longer as vested as I once was in retrieving the gun I do feel an obligation to warn as many people as possible about Chaz before he destroys another Texan's gun and burdens another Texan with the hellish experience and fatigue I endured trying to get my property back. This guy absolutely needs to be stopped and if there's one positive experience I can make of this, it would be finally shutting CC Gunsmithing down for good.

    Details of the pistol are below. Again it's not my priority in getting the gun back but if there's new suggestions as to which TX LEO or agency might be able to help, I still have a sliver of hope left. Note I haven't tried Texas PD or ATF so those are still possible opportunities.

    Brand/Type/Action/Cal./Model/Finished - Colt Mark IV Series 80 1911 Semi Auto Pistol 45 ACP
    Serial number - A70B38544. The "B" is extremely difficult to see and might be missed and reported as A7038544.
    Accessories/Finish/Barrel/Sights/Mag/Value - Extra Kart Barrel, Blued finish, 5" Barrel, OEM Sights + Add on Truglo Sights, numerous others

    Thanks all in advance!
    Thanks for the name. I will and as others on here, remember that name.

    Odds are ol Chaz already put your gun into others hands. He probably never recorded it. In the future, for dealers that are like this, contact a specialist with the batf and have that ffl get a visit. Odds are high other activities will be found. Local le was being lazy. The issue could have been pushed. That really sucks.

    I know I’ll remember the name and if I see that name I’ll be one to make sure the person gets checked out.

    Only other thing I have to add is for my fellow tgt members: use facts. I don’t see any hits on google map. Cali forum thread is public and mentioned a Georgetown address but nothing seems to be showing up on google or anything for Gunsmithing for that addy currently. One link says ffl expires on 2-1-22. So tread carefully members. Don’t do anything unethical or illegal.
     

    alyeh

    New Member
    Rating - 0%
    0   0   0
    Jun 19, 2022
    15
    11
    California
    Hey All,

    Thanks for all the responses, I really didn't think my story would garner so much attention but I'm glad there's a community that would provide so much support for a virtual stranger located halfway across the country. I'll try to clarify some of the questions I noted.

    Chaz does have an FFL, two in fact. One was expired in 2019 and listed his CA business. He then reapplied for one to establish his TX business (expired 2/1/22, recently renewed till 2025). I've edited my OP to include this info. Originally Chaz did not even have a FFL between starting his business in 2011 to 2015 while he was working out of his parent's basement (literally). If you read into the other Calgunner's experience in 2015 (link in OP), that individual complained to the ATF who told him he needed a FFL or else his business would be shut down. He complied. Also, though Chaz has misdemeanor convictions (I believe he had one for marijuana possession in 2000, then another for failure to appear), he doesn't have any felonies.

    I did try the ATF stolen firearm hotline in DC back in 2018-ish and was told that they could only accept reports from FFL dealers who had their inventory stolen; they essentially referred me to the local PD. I was also told that ATF had jurisdiction over things like log violations, missing 4473s, etc... but that stolen property (stolen by the FFL in this case) was solely the jurisdiction of the local PD. I'm not too knowledge about this, can anyone confirm?

    Redwood City CA PD did a horrendous job in policing the situation. An officer wrote a report which detailed the crime of theft and listed at the bottom the exact California Penal Code violation for theft. Every officer I spoke to had a different interpretation of the situation. Some thought it was strictly a civil matter (even with the police report) and some agreed it was a crime but basically refused to pursue it, citing lack of resources. In hindsight I really should have pushed up the chain of command but that's long gone.

    Thanks again
     

    Sam7sf

    TGT Addict
    Lifetime Member
    Rating - 100%
    10   0   0
    Apr 13, 2018
    12,464
    96
    Texas
    I did try the ATF stolen firearm hotline in DC back in 2018-ish and was told that they could only accept reports from FFL dealers who had their inventory stolen; they essentially referred me to the local PD. I was also told that ATF had jurisdiction over things like log violations, missing 4473s, etc... but that stolen property (stolen by the FFL in this case) was solely the jurisdiction of the local PD. I'm not too knowledge about this, can anyone confirm?
    Like anything...it depends on who you talk to. You definitely got no help. It wouldn’t be hard to contact a field office and have an inspection. It wouldn’t be hard to get something in motion. It wouldn’t be hard to provide proof you left a firearm with a business...assuming you don’t leave a weapon with an ffl without paperwork.

    Gotta find the right people.

    It also helps how you talk with people. My pistol got stolen is not as good as: not only did my pistol get stolen but I’m finding other similar feedback and I think this fish is worth your attention.

    This would be better discussed with a local office who approved said ffl. Not some hotline.

    From there, ol Chaz will do the leg work for y’all. Criminals don’t wake up one morning and say: “I should stop and do the right thing”.
     
    Last edited:

    Grumps21

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    Apr 28, 2021
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    OP, I hope you recover your pistol. Thats really a crummy thing to happen, hope you get a resolve to this. Might also look at Texas Gun Trader, it’s our Craigslist of fire arms. He might be advertising there as well. Ole Chaz needs to invest some of his ill gotten gains in a man bra. The guy is about to bust out of his shirt in that photo you attached...
     

    alyeh

    New Member
    Rating - 0%
    0   0   0
    Jun 19, 2022
    15
    11
    California
    OP, I hope you recover your pistol. Thats really a crummy thing to happen, hope you get a resolve to this. Might also look at Texas Gun Trader, it’s our Craigslist of fire arms. He might be advertising there as well. Ole Chaz needs to invest some of his ill gotten gains in a man bra. The guy is about to bust out of his shirt in that photo you attached...

    Thanks, appreciate the tip, I've never heard of that site till now. Anyone else have suggestions as to other forums that might be useful to post? I'm primarily looking to gain exposure so anyone googling Chaz or CC Gunsmithing would see these negative experiences.

    Also is anyone knowledgeable about business licensing? Online records from Williamson County Clerk show that he's not licensed. Not sure if that's an avenue to pursue?

    Thanks
     
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