Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco and Firearms settlement
During a routine inspection by the
Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco and Firearms (ATF) in 2009, Red Jacket could not account for ten registered guns. In a settlement, William Hayden and Stephanie Hayden surrendered their gun-making licenses and were allowed to choose a licensed individual to control Red Jacket. Initially, that person was Vincent Buckles, but Buckles has left the company and now two others individuals control the company.
[3]
In a WBRZ article, Attorney Craig Davidson, Jr., said that 10 guns did not go missing from the shop. Instead, one or two guns were stolen during 2001–2008. Davidson claimed the rest of the missing guns were receivers that were thrown away or destroyed when gunsmiths made mistakes. Although Davidson characterized the lost weapons as "simple bookkeeping errors", the ATF requires serial numbered parts to be tracked. Will and Stephanie Hayden did not keep track, so, according to Davidson, Hayden and the ATF mutually agreed to shutdown Red Jacket, Inc. The WBRZ article is silent about Will and Stephanie Hayden surrendering any federal firearms licenses.
Davidson further stated that at that time, Hayden was already in discussions with the Discovery Channel about the show and had plans to start another business, Red Jacket Firearms, L.L.C.
[4] Will Hayden is not an officer of Red Jacket Firearms, L.L.C. When Davidson was asked why Hayden was not an officer, Davidson stated the reason was a "confidential business decision".
[5]
Several "Red Jacket" entities are registered in Louisiana. The first is Red Jacket, Inc. (filed April 6, 1999).
[6] The officer is William M. Hayden, but the corporation is not in good standing because it failed to file an annual report. The second is Red Jacket Firearms, L.L.C. (filed May 7, 2010).
[7] As of January 7, the listed officers of the LLC are Joseph Whitney Meaux, Vincent Gordon Buckles, and Charles Riley Watson; neither Will Hayden nor Stephanie Hayden are listed as officers. A third entity is Red Jacket International, L.L.C. (filed April 6, 2011).
[8] The officer is William M. Hayden. Other "Red Jacket" entities appear to be unrelated.
ATF has issued a federal firearms license (FFL) to Red Jacket Firearms, L.L.C. The (partial) license number is 5-72-xxx-xx-xx-03043