Six suspects are slated to appear before the federal court in Santa Ana, following charges of conspiring to burglarize federally licensed firearm stores across Southern California. As reported by the U.S. Attorney's Office, Central District of California, the six men are accused of utilizing a brazen tactic to execute a series of burglaries—smashing stolen vehicles into gun storefronts to gain entry and make off with weaponry.
During their 9-month reported crime spree, it is alleged that the group managed to steal over 300 firearms. The individuals charged, as first reported by the U.S. Attorney's Office, include Cross Arjay Goree, Caine Aiden Goree, Kenneth Gilmore III, Brendan Markel Hawkins, Calvin Logan Gray, and Kendall Eric Johnson. Each defendant is facing a potential maximum sentence of 10 years imprisonment if convicted, as detailed by the U.S. Attorney's Office, Central District of California. The details relayed by authorities paint a picture of a concerted effort to quickly abscond with firearms before law enforcement could respond.
An affidavit linked to the complaint lists nine firearm stores targeted by the defendants, ranging from Murrieta to Orange. Among the incidents is a burglary at Chaparral Coin and Gun in Murrieta where 43 firearms were reported stolen, and another at Fowler’s Gun Room in Orange with 70 firearms allegedly taken. Additional attempted break-ins interrupted the streak of successful thefts.
Investigators believe that the stolen firearms have been actively sold on the black market, as per the U.S. Attorney's Office. Some of the illegally obtained guns were reportedly found in unrelated criminal investigations. Arrests were made following the execution of a federal search warrant at a residence shared by some of the defendants which resulted in the recovery of multiple stolen firearms from several burglaries.
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