Smith & Wesson shoot themselves in foot with appointment

The parent company of gunsmiths Smith & Wesson have replaced chairman James Minder, who resigned after it was revealed that he had been convicted of a string of armed robberies and a prison escape in the 1950s and 60s.

But Minder, 74, of Scottsdale, Arizona, will remain on the board of the famed gun company.

“The board believes he should and can continue to provide invaluable input to Smith & Wesson within both strategic planning and the ongoing drive towards operational excellence,” the company said in a statement.

Dennis Bingham, aged 57, who has been an adviser to a Minneapolis business valuation and property appraisal firm, was elected to replace Minder as chairman of Smith & Wesson Holding Corporation.

Roy Scott, a former president of Smith & Wesson, was elected vice president.

Minder said he submitted his resignation voluntarily at a directors’ meeting on Monday, three weeks after The Arizona Republic reported that he had spent more than 10 years in Michigan prisons.

He said he had not disclosed his criminal past and his fellow directors had not asked before electing him chairman of the Smith & Wesson Holding in mid-January.

As a convicted criminal he is prohibited from carrying a handgun.

“While recognising the very serious mistakes in his early life, the board believes that Mr Minder has led an exemplary life for 35 years and has provided tremendous service to the community,” the company said.

Following his release from prison in 1973, Minder founded Spectrum Human Services, a non-profit agency serving delinquent and disabled Michigan youths, and ran it for 20 years before retiring to Arizona in 1997.