Trio Sentenced in Connection to Thefts from Appomattox Gun Store

LYNCHBURG, VIRGINIA – Months after 56 guns were stolen from a federally licensed firearms dealer in Appomattox, three of the men who took part in the break-in have been sentenced in federal court on related charges, United States Attorney John P. Fishwick Jr. announced today.

Jaquan Tyree Harris, 21, of Amherst, Virginia, previously pled guilty to one count of stealing firearms from a federally licensed firearms dealer and one count of being a previously convicted felon illegally in possession of a firearm. Yesterday in the United States District Court in Lynchburg, Harris was sentenced to 52 months in federal prison.

Dequan Montez Kelso, 23, and Kwamane Jarrae McCoy, 22, both of Appomattox, Virginia, had each previously pled guilty to one count of stealing firearms from a federally licensed firearms dealer and one count of being a previously convicted felon illegally in possession of a firearm. Yesterday in District Court, Kelso was sentenced to 48 months in federal prison. In a separate hearing, McCoy was sentenced to 60 months in prison.  All three defendants were ordered to pay restitution to the gun shop owner for damages stemming from the break-in.

“Keeping illegal guns out of the hands of prohibited users is a priority of the United States Attorney’s Office,” United States Attorney Fishwick said today. “One of the first steps we can take in keeping our communities safe is getting illegal guns off our streets. This case is a prime example of law enforcement working to do just that.”

According to evidence presented at previous hearings by Assistant United States Attorney Andrew Bassford, in January 2016, four masked individuals burglarized TNT Outfitters in Appomattox, Virginia in the middle of the night, stealing 56 firearms. Following a thorough investigation by the ATF, Virginia State Police and the Appomattox County Sheriff’s Office, McCoy and Kelso were identified as being involved in the burglary and were soon located and found to be in possession of some of the stolen firearms. They were subsequently arrested and admitted their involvement in the incident.

Many of the stolen firearms, including a Glock 17, HiPoint C9, Smith and Wesson M&P 9 Pro, Remington Model 700 Shotgun and a Ruger Mini 14 .223 Rifle, remain missing. The Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives have offered a $10,000 reward to anyone with knowledge of the whereabouts of these missing firearms. Anyone with information can contact the ATF at 1-800-283-4867.

The investigation of the case was conducted by the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives, the Virginia State Police and the Appomattox Sheriff’s Office.  Assistant United States Attorney Andrew Bassford prosecuted the case for the United States.