![]() He hired a woman named Julie Zielke to run his new gun show business. But he did not lose his business.Īt some point, Heller graduated from vendor to promoter. He owed $287,500 by the time the Internal Revenue Service caught on in 2014.Īfter federal agents raided his warehouse, Heller pleaded guilty to tax evasion in 2016 and spent six months under house arrest. The shop had a computer numerical control machine, and Heller discovered he could use it to make extremely accurate semi-automatic rifle barrels.įor years, Heller made a lot of money selling ammunition for cash at gun shows. The business specialized in bearings, but eventually expanded into ammunition and firearms. Heller had been in the business since he was 21 years old, working with his dad, the paper said. ![]() In 2018, Heller celebrated his 30th year in business by hosting a cookout featured in the St. Overlooking the highway is a large sign advertising his ball-bearing business: “Service is our specialty,” it reads. Helens warehouse across the railroad tracks from Highway 30. Heller runs his businesses, Heller Enterprises, out of a beige St. And it was under Peterson that Metro went into business with Rob Heller. “They’ll probably move to the Clark County Fairgrounds or other places where the facility is not equipped adequately to deal with the kind of technology we can provide at our facility.” “I don’t know that you’re going to stop gun shows,” Hughes said. So WW reached out to the other six members of the Metro Council for comment. Simon said Metro Council President Lynn Peterson was unavailable to answer questions prior to publication of this story. Tourism cratered in the wake of the pandemic, and records show the center has been unable to generate enough revenue from events to pay its bills. “A gun show is a celebration of products that are poorly regulated and whose only purpose is ultimately to kill,” says Penny Okamoto, a longtime activist with Ceasefire Oregon.īut the Expo Center is currently short on cash. Those values seem to clash with the hosting of gun shows, which activists argue glorify violence even as the nation fails to stanch a tide of gun massacres. Metro is a regional government that regularly trumpets its progressive values. The letter, dated Wednesday, July 13, cited “consistent communication issues” and missing paperwork as reasons for not renewing the contract.Īgency spokesman Neil Simon said the decision had been in the works for some time. The next day, Metro sent Heller a letter informing him the Expo Center would no longer host his gun shows. WW asked Metro about these shows last Thursday, July 14.
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