EXCLUSIVE: Ammo Store Owner is Reported to Homeland Security by His Own County Commissioner Over Anti-Mask Sign

Over a week ago, Big League Politics profiled a Novi, Mich.-based ammunition store owner who went viral for opposing mask mandates and posting a notice that individuals wearing masks could not go into his store.

Big League Politics has obtained emails indicating that Democrat public officials went to the county’s homeland security official and city law enforcement in an attempt to get store owner Justin Nazaroff in potential legal trouble due to his political stances.

Democrat County Commissioner Gwen Markham reported Nazaroff to homeland security because of the sign placed in his ammunition store. In the emails obtained by Big League Politics, it appears that several top Democrats conspired to have Nazaroff profiled and harassed for exercising his constitutional rights.

“I wanted to bring attention to a Novi small business that is making people nervous out here,” Markham wrote to Thomas Glenn Hardesty, the homeland security officer for Oakland County, and Novi Police Chief David Molloy.

Markham noted that she had been monitoring Nazaroff’s social media activity and wanted him profiled by law enforcement because of political speech she opposes.

“Justin Nazaroff makes his presence known online, and sometimes shows up at events with open carry “just because I can”. He likes intimidating people,” Markham wrote. “He has a Twitter @FenixAmmunition that has been pretty hostile and active lately.”

In his response to the email, Hardesty noted that the Democrat Oakland County executive’s office also reached out to complain about Nazaroff’s beliefs. Bill Mullan, Media and Communications Officer for Oakland County Executive David Coulter, also alerted homeland security about Nazaroff’s pro-gun and anti-mask advocacy.

As a result of these Democrat public officials conspiring against Nazaroff, Chief Molloy sent his officers to Fenix Ammunition in order to confront him at his place of business. They reported that Nazaroff was not barring people with masks from entering the store, which apparently would be against the law.

“Upon the officer and sergeant’s arrival, they noticed a customer inside the lobby wearing a mask. There was a note on the front door advising customers about wearing a mask. The sign did have Justin’s person thoughts about mask wearing, but it never said, not to wear a mask. They also noticed markings on the floor indicating proper social distancing and there was hand sanitizer on the counters,” Chief Molloy noted in his email response to Markham.

Molloy noted that his officers visited Fenix Ammo “after receiving a formal complaint from a community member,” showing how snitches are laying in wait to report all noncompliance with COVID-19 lockdown overreach. He did not appear to find anything wrong with how Nazaroff was operating his business.

However, Molloy noted that he sent his findings to “the Oakland County Prosecutor, the County Health Division, and the Attorney General’s Office for review.” So, these agencies, mostly dominated by far-left Democrats, could choose to levy a reprisal against Nazaroff for his refusal to submit to mask tyranny.

Nazaroff has responded to the controversy with defiance. He has posted a new sign in his business to make it clear that he will not be intimidated into silence:

Nazaroff noted in a statement to Big League Politics that he has a long history of dealing with Markham from her days as a Novi city councilwoman. He has met with her personally, attempting to explain his pro-gun stance, but she has remained a belligerent opponent of the 2nd Amendment despite Markham’s “zero knowledge on a topic she remains outspoken about to this day.”

“It disappoints and angers me to see Gwen use her power as Oakland County Commissioner to single out a small business in the city she lives, and the city she claimed to represent while on the city council.  During that time, we’ve managed to grow this business from nothing into one that services thousands of people across the country every year, while providing seven people with jobs,” Nazaroff told Big League Politics. “What’s worse is that she’s gone so far as attempting to label me personally as some kind of “threat” to the community.”

“It’s not my fault that she feels intimidated by the visible presence of a firearm,” Nazaroff added. “Perhaps the question we should be asking is whether a person with that lack of mental fortitude should be entrusted with the job of Oakland County Commissioner.”

Nazaroff believes that Markham’s anti-American activity is more proof of tremendous incompetence and maleovolence of government officials.

“This appears to be yet another example of public officials desperately trying to smear the reputation of legal gun owners and businesses within the firearms community.   There is no question that if it were up to her, Gwen would put our company out of business TOMORROW.  Gwen would ban open carry TOMORROW.  Gwen would ban so-called “assault weapons” TOMORROW.  With that in mind, she decided to wield her political influence to further her own personal agenda,” Nazaroff explained.

“This is who your Oakland County Commissioner is – a woman who spends her time surfing Twitter and reading the Metro Times Magazine, sending emails to her government contacts “warning” about a local small business. If there is anyone who hasn’t been totally and utterly convinced that your elected political leaders are some of the least impressive people around, well, I’m not sure what else to tell you,” he said.

Pro-2A leaders in Michigan are up in arms over these developments as well, believing that they show how Democrats regularly abuse their power to unduly restrict the rights of their political opposition.

“This is yet another example of the war on gun owners by the Michigan Democratic Party who will not hesitate to pass their radical gun control agenda if they ever manage to take complete control in Lansing,” Great Lakes Gun Rights executive director Brenden Boudreau told Big League Politics.

“Using government force to target political opponents, in the case Fenix Ammunition, is a clear example of why Michiganders must oppose “Red Flag” gun confiscation laws which allow gun owners to be denied of their rights based merely on accusations, with no crime ever being committed,” Boudreau added.

“This is a transparent attempt to bully and intimidate a business for resisting its intended destruction at the hands of Gretchen Whitmer,” Michigan United for Liberty vice president Adam De Angeli said to Big League Politics. “This type of persecution is typical behavior for tyrants and cowards, and these malicious actors need to be removed from office for betraying the public.”

“Justin Nazaroff is a hero, and Michigan needs many more of him to defend and restore our liberty,” De Angeli added.

Republican Oakland County Sheriff Mike Bouchard, who helped develop the unconstitutional red flag laws currently being considered in the state legislature, was reached out to comment on this story but refused to respond.

Michigan Democrats in Oakland County are renowned for their hostility to the Bill of Rights, particularly the 2nd Amendment.

Big League Politics reported last year on how 11th District Congresswoman Haley Stevens pledged to abuse her legislative authority to bring the National Rifle Association to its knees:

Freshman Congresswoman Haley Stevens (D-MI) held a contentious town hall at a gun club in Commerce Township, MI on Tuesday where she called for widespread gun control and the end of the National Rifle Association (NRA).

“This is why the NRA has got to go! The NRA has go to go!” Stevens exclaimed, as the divided crowd roared in response.

The town hall took place in the indoor gun range of the Multi Lakes Conservation Association, a group that regularly hosts the NRA and other pro-gun events. Republican organizers in the area explain that the venue was duped into holding the event by deceptive Democrats who misrepresented their real intentions.

“I think they just snuck it in here. I can tell you that the members of this gun club aren’t happy about it,” explained 11th Congressional District Republican Party Chairwoman Meshawn Maddock to FOX 2 News.

“Somehow, Fems for Dems booked this event using a different name. The sweet woman that I talked to said that it said “Fems for Life” in her calendar,” she explained.

While Stevens may have wanted a photo op in a gun club to use against the NRA and defenders of the 2nd Amendment, many patriotic Republicans crashed the event, and it did not go according to plan. The event was abruptly halted over an hour before it was scheduled to end, and Stevens ducked out shortly afterward instead of facing one-on-one questions from her constituents.

“The 11th Congressional District isn’t progressive,” Maddock said. “It’s Republican. And Republicans support the Second Amendment and we like our legally owned guns. You’ve got a lot of nerve holding an anti-gun rally in the heart of gun-country. So we will rally voters to show you what voters think about two things. First, your lack of support for our Second Amendment. Then your poor decision to select this location for your town hall.”

Stevens, although not officially a member of the far-left “Squad,” certainly echoes their values when it comes to the 2nd Amendment. She is one of the Congress’ most fervent advocates against gun rights.

Commissioner Markham’s behavior is the latest indicator that Democrats vehemently oppose the U.S. Constitution, want to disarm Americans as they defund the police, and hate private property rights.

Our Latest Articles