For better or worse, there are rules about guns. Yes, they’re all pretty much BS, of course, but those rules exist. In theory, they exist to keep people safe. They do no such thing, of course, but that’s why proponents support those laws.

Law enforcement is also supposed to keep people safe. Again, at least in theory. Sure, we know that they may try, but they can’t really protect each individual from harm, but some want certain weapons restricted just for law enforcement use because we plebes can’t be trusted with certain weapons but police can.

Well…that thought aged well.

A former San Diego County sheriff’s captain pleaded guilty Tuesday to running an illegal arms trafficking operation, in which he bought and resold guns available only to law enforcement for both financial and professional gain.

Marco Garmo, 52, the former captain of the sheriff’s Rancho San Diego station and a 27-year member of the department, illegally purchased and resold “off roster” firearms, which may be purchased by members of law enforcement, but not the general public, according to the U.S. Attorney’s Office.

In addition to receiving cash for the firearms, federal prosecutors say that between March 2013 and February 2019, Garmo conducted the gun sales to create goodwill among potential donors for his planned campaign to run for San Diego County sheriff.

Prosecutors said Garmo made a series of “straw purchases,” in which he told gun dealers he was purchasing guns for himself, when in reality, he was buying them for people who could not directly buy the firearms under state law.

He acquired around 144 firearms during that time and transferred 98 of them to others, all while lacking the required license to do so, according to prosecutors.

Now, first, let me say that it’s total BS that law enforcement can buy guns anywhere in this country that the average citizen can’t. That ain’t how the Second Amendment is supposed to work, folks. Hell, I personally believe the military shouldn’t be able to buy weapons that we can’t buy, much less police.

Yet, that’s the law in many places.

As a result, though, there’s an incentive for law enforcement officers to potentially break the law by running a hustle like this. Sure, it’s illegal, but police are neither angels nor demons. They’re flesh and blood people that come from our society, which means you’re going to get some who are damn near angels and some who are damn near demons. Some are going to be tempted to make a little extra money in a way that few others can manage.

In the process, though, it showed a big problem with gun control.

See, unless you ban everything–something the Supreme Court has said can’t be done–there will always be those with legal access to firearms. That means there will always be those who will be in a position to sell what they can legally buy to those who can’t. Gun control doesn’t stop the flow of guns, it creates a perverse incentive for some to bypass laws they’ve been sworn to uphold for some extra cash.

Police are people, which means all that being human entails.