The string of guilty pleas in a daring Maryland pawn shop robbery came to a close when the last defendant admitted to his role in the theft of a significant arsenal of firearms. CyJuan Hemsley, an 18-year-old out of District Heights, Maryland, entered his guilty plea on Wednesday for his part in the burglary of 34 firearms from the A&D Pawn Shop in Glen Burnie, Maryland, as reported by the United States Attorney's Office. Hemsley pleaded guilty to conspiracy to commit theft from a firearms licensee and to one count of possession of stolen firearms.
In the events dating back to December 2023, Hemsley, alongside four other District residents, conspired to rob the pawn shop, which resulted in the substantial theft of rifles, shotguns, and pistols. This case has been a focus of the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives, Washington Field Division, and the Metropolitan Police Department. The co-conspirators not only managed to haul away the cache of weapons successfully but also attempted to quickly sell them off using social media as a marketplace, according to court documents.
The other defendants involved in this case – Tyjuan McNeal, 28, Vincent Alston, 23, Niquan Odumn, 23, and Juwon Anderson, 22 – had previously entered guilty pleas. As for Hemsley, U.S. District Court Judge Amy Berman Jackson has set the sentencing hearing for August 6, 2025. The recovery of the stolen firearms has been ongoing, with law enforcement agencies successfully locating 17 of the guns to date.
Arrested on March 22, 2024, Hemsley has been detained since. The aftermath of the break-in saw a dedicated effort by law enforcement to trace and recover the weapons, a measure to curb potential violence stemming from the stolen guns turning up in criminal hands. Assistant U.S. Attorney Shehzad Akhtar and former Special Assistant U.S. Attorney Ryan Lipes lead the prosecution. Their work underscores the continuing push to hold accountable those who seek to distribute firearms through illicit channels irresponsibly.
