Theft of firearms from Billings pawnshop burglary sends Joliet man to prison for more than six years

BILLINGS — A Joliet man who admitted to stealing firearms from a Billings pawnshop during a burglary was sentenced today to six years and five months in prison, to be followed by three years of supervised release, U.S. Attorney Jesse Laslovich said today.

The defendant, Lucious Machiavelli, aka Robert Allen Boyden, 48, pleaded guilty in August to theft from a federal firearms licensee.

U.S. District Judge Susan P. Watters presided. The court also ordered $8,783 in restitution.

The government alleged in court documents that on Sept. 11, 2023, Pawnbrokers West, a federal firearms licensee, in Billings, was burglarized shortly before 3 a.m. Ten firearms were stolen during the break in. Five of the firearms are still at large. Law enforcement learned that Machiavelli was involved in the burglary. Some of the stolen firearms were recovered from the residence of a co-defendant, who told law enforcement that Machiavelli had brought the guns to the residence. Another co-defendant told law enforcement that he and Machiavelli broke into the pawn shop and stole the firearms.

The U.S. Attorney’s Office prosecuted the case. The Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives and Billings Police Department conducted the investigation.

This case is part of Project Safe Neighborhoods (PSN), a program bringing together all levels of law enforcement and the communities they serve to reduce violent crime and gun violence, and to make our neighborhoods safer for everyone. On May 26, 2021, the Department launched a violent crime reduction strategy strengthening PSN based on these core principles: fostering trust and legitimacy in our communities, supporting community-based organizations that help prevent violence from occurring in the first place, setting focused and strategic enforcement priorities, and measuring the results. For more information about Project Safe Neighborhoods, please visit Justice.gov/PSN.

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