Poplar Bluff and Illinois Men Found Guilty

The United States Attorney's Office announced that Demarlon Richardson, of Poplar Bluff, Missouri, and Germonde Brunner, Arlandus Howard, Norlando Jackson and Antywan Seawood, of East St. Louis, Illinois, were found guilty of the burglary of a federally licensed firearms dealer known as Instapawn, which is located near Poplar Bluff, Missouri.  That burglary occurred on February 28, 2017, when the five men stole over 60 firearms.  Howard was found guilty by a jury and the other four men entered guilty pleas.  The maximum term of imprisonment for this crime is ten years.

Brunner, Howard, Jackson and Seawood were also found guilty of committing Carjacking and Possession of a Firearm in Furtherance of a Crime of Violence for a carjacking crime that occurred in Clayton, Missouri, on February 27, 2017.  The men used the stolen car during the commission of the firearms theft.  The maximum term of imprisonment for the crime of Carjacking is fifteen years.  The maximum term of imprisonment for Possession of a Firearm in Furtherance of a Crime of Violence is life, with a minimum sentence of seven years imprisonment.  The case is before United States District Judge Stephen N. Limbaugh, Jr. 

This case was investigated by the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives (ATF); the Butler County Sheriff’s Office; the Poplar Bluff Police Department; the Clayton, Missouri Police Department and the St. Louis Metropolitan Police Department.  Assistant United States Attorney Keith D. Sorrell is handling the prosecution for the Government.