Two Rockford Men Sentenced for Stealing Guns from Firearms Dealers

ROCKFORD —A Rockford man was sentenced today before U.S. District Judge John Robert Blakey to a total of ten years in federal prison, to be followed by three years of supervised release, on firearms charges.

KYLAND WILLIS, 21, who was charged in two separate cases, pleaded guilty on June 28, 2019, to conspiracy to steal firearms from a licensed firearms dealer and two counts of stealing firearms from a licensed firearms dealer.

According to a written plea agreement, Willis broke into the store of a firearms licensee in Loves Park on Dec. 15, 2017, and stole approximately eleven firearms. On Dec. 27, 2017, Willis and another individual broke into the store of the same firearms licensee again and stole an additional 13 firearms. Willis and the other individual also attempted to break into the store of a second firearms licensee in Loves Park on Dec. 26, 2017.

On Jan. 3, 2018, Willis, co-defendant MARTAEVIEN Q. STEVENSON, 21, also of Rockford, and a third individual broke into the store of a firearms licensee in Belvidere, and stole 30 firearms. Stevenson admitted to attempting to break into the firearms licensee store a second time on Jan. 8, 2019. Willis, Stevenson and other individuals also attempted to break into the firearms licensee’s store a third time on Jan. 10, 2018.

Stevenson pleaded guilty on May 24, 2019, to conspiracy to steal firearms from a licensed firearms dealer and stealing firearms from a licensed firearms dealer. Stevenson was sentenced on Sept. 13, 2019, to four years and nine months in federal prison, to be followed by three years of supervised release.

The sentencings were announced by John R. Lausch, Jr., United States Attorney for the Northern District of Illinois; and Timothy Jones, Special Agent-in-Charge of the Chicago Field Division of the U.S. Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms & Explosives. The investigations were conducted by ATF, the Loves Park Police Department, the Belvidere Police Department, and the Rockford Police Department. The Winnebago County Sheriff’s Office assisted in the investigations. The government was represented by Assistant U.S. Attorney Talia Bucci.