Two young men, Vincent Lee Alston and Niquan Odum, have entered guilty pleas related to a burglary that resulted in the theft of dozens of firearms from a Maryland pawn shop back in December 2023. The break-in, which targeted the A&D Pawn Shop in Glen Burnie, ended with the theft of 34 weapons, including rifles, shotguns, and pistols.
U.S. Attorney Edward R. Martin Jr., along with other law enforcement officials announced the pleas. According to courtroom filings, the co-conspirators, including Alston and Odum, orchestrated the theft by driving from Washington D.C. to the pawn shop where they cut security gate locks and pried open the main door, before absconding with the firearms. Alston, also known as "Vedo," pleaded guilty to one count of conspiracy to commit firearms trafficking, while Odum, also known as "Stickz," pleaded guilty to conspiracy to commit theft from a firearms licensee, and to possession of stolen firearms.
The group's exploits didn't stop at the burglary; they proceeded to use social media as a platform to advertise the sale of the stolen guns. This case doesn't stand in isolation, with other individuals, such as Juwon Markel Anderson, aka "Peezy," Cy’Juan Hemsley, and Tyjuan McNeal, also implicated in the ongoing investigation spearheaded by agents from the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives and the Metropolitan Police Department.
Sentencing for Alston and Odum is set for mid-2025, with Alston's hearing on June 27 and Odum's on June 13. Both have been detained since their respective arrests, Alston since December 15, 2023, and Odum since March 25, 2024. The prosecution is in the hands of Assistant U.S. Attorney Shehzad Akhtar and Special Assistant U.S. Attorney Ryan Lipes, who look to bring the full weight of legal consequences to bear on those found guilty.
With the ease of advertising illicit goods through modern digital channels, the task of policing such activities has become even more formidable. For more detailed information on the case and the guilty pleas, readers can refer to the official statement released by the U.S. Attorney's Office.
