Indictment Charges Six Defendants In Connection With 86 Stolen Guns

LITTLE ROCK - Christopher R. Thyer, United States Attorney for the Eastern District of Arkansas and Grover Crossland, Resident Agent in Charge for the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms & Explosives (ATF), announced today the unsealing of a two-count Indictment charging multiple defendants with the possession of firearms stolen from the Hunter’s Refuge sporting goods store in White Hall, Arkansas. An investigation into a series of burglaries at the shop resulted Thursday in the early-morning arrests of five defendants by the ATF along with the assistance of the Pine Bluff and White Hall police departments. Another defendant named in the Indictment remains in state custody on unrelated charges.

On Friday, August 21, 2015, at 2 p.m., five defendants will be arraigned by United States Magistrate Judge Joe J. Volpe. The remaining defendant will be arraigned on August 27, 2015. The case number is 4:15-cr-204-JM.

The ATF investigation revealed that a group of individuals forced entry into Hunter’s Refuge on December, 18, 2014, broke into a number of locked glass display cases, and stole 24 handguns. On January 8, 2015, a group of individuals again forced entry into Hunter’s Refuge and stole 62 more guns, including eight assault rifles. A number of the stolen guns have since been recovered.

The Indictment, returned by a Federal Grand Jury on August 5th, 2015, charges six defendants with two separate counts of possession of stolen firearms. Count One charges Sir Arthur Carrington-Fields, 19, with possession of one or more of the 24 firearms stolen from Hunter’s Refuge on December 18, 2015. Count Two charges Jakheeno Stewart, 19; Charles Moore Jr., 19; Rodderick Goins, 19; Raheem Wise, 19; Martel Donaldson, 19; and Carrington-Fields with possession of one or more of the 62 firearms stolen from Hunter’s Refuge on January 8, 2015. All defendants are residents of Pine Bluff, Arkansas. Possession of a stolen firearm is punishable by no more than 10 years of incarceration in the Bureau of Prisons, with a possible fine of up to $250,000, and not more than 3 years supervised release.

The investigation was conducted by the ATF, with assistance from several law enforcement agencies including the Pine Bluff Police Department and White Hall Police Department. The case is being prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Hunter Bridges.

An indictment contains only allegations. A defendant is presumed innocent unless and until proven guilty.