A Chicago, Illinois, man pled guilty today in federal district court to a three-count Indictment relating to the burglary of a firearms dealership in Salem, Illinois, the United States Attorney for the Southern District of Illinois, Stephen R. Wigginton, announced today.

Kevin A. Winford, 19, of Chicago, Illinois, pled guilty to: Stealing Firearms from a Federal Licensee; Conspiracy to Steal Firearms from a Federal Licensee; and Possession of a Stolen Firearm. A Factual Stipulation filed with the court states that Winford and three other men traveled from Chicago on December 23, 2011, broke into DL Enterprises in Salem, Illinois, and stole 124 firearms, then returned to Chicago on December 24, where they later sold some of the guns.

The Stipulation also states that from September 2, 2011, through January 15, 2012, Winford and others participated in burglarizing five other firearms dealers in Illinois, Indiana, and Wisconsin, stealing a total of approximately 446 firearms, which they took back to Chicago to sell. One of the participants is now
deceased. The Stipulation also indicates that Winford and one of his co-defendants were observed by
Chicago police firing guns in the air on January 1, 2012. Police unsuccessfully pursued the pair; however, during the course of the pursuit and subsequent investigation, police recovered firearms that linked the pair to the gun dealership robberies. Also, police were able to connect Winford to the robbery of DT Enterprises through fingerprints left by Winford at the scene of the burglary.

Winford was arrested by Chicago police on January 17, 2012, following an incident in which Winford was riding as a passenger in the vehicle of one of his co-defendants. The co-defendant, who was the driver, rammed a police car while attempting to elude police. The driver escaped, but Winford was arrested. The vehicle was registered to the mother of a third co-defendant. Police then searched the mother’s residence and found one of the firearms that had been stolen from DT Enterprises; the gun was located, along with several boxes of ammunition, in the bedroom of the third defendant.

Winford faces five years’ imprisonment on two of the charges and ten years’ imprisonment on the third; he is subject to a $250,000 fine on each count, as well as three years’ supervised release on each count.

A date for sentencing has not yet been set.

The case was investigated by members of the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms, and Explosives, and by the Salem and Chicago police departments.

The case was prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney Stephen B. Clark.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

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