A Las Vegas woman will spend more than two years in federal prison for her role in a sophisticated gun store theft that put dozens of stolen firearms into the hands of criminals across the valley.
According to FOX5 Vegas, Alexis Breanna Worrell received a 30-month federal prison sentence followed by two years of supervised release. Her co-defendant Dennis James Caputo was handed a harsher six-year sentence for his more active role in the July 24, 2023 break-in at an Overton gun store.
Methodical Theft Operation
Court documents obtained by News3LV reveal the calculated nature of the heist. Worrell, Caputo, and a third individual traveled from Las Vegas to the small town of Overton, about 65 miles northeast of the valley. While Worrell waited at a nearby gas station, Caputo executed what prosecutors described as a professional break-in.
As detailed by FOX5 Vegas, Caputo climbed onto the roof of the federally licensed firearms business, used tools to cut a hole, dropped inside, silenced the motion-sensor alarm, and methodically filled two five-gallon buckets and a rifle case with 38 firearms.
Stolen Weapons Hit Las Vegas Streets
The theft's impact extended far beyond the initial crime. Between July 25 and September 5, 2023, Worrell and Caputo sold and transferred some of the stolen firearms to other individuals throughout the Las Vegas area.
According to KLAS 8 News Now, law enforcement has recovered nine of those stolen firearms from five prohibited people who were "engaged in criminal activities" in the Las Vegas valley. The report notes that four of the firearms remain outstanding, meaning these weapons could still be circulating in the community.
Criminal Histories Revealed
Both defendants brought extensive criminal backgrounds to this federal case. As reported by KLAS 8 News Now, Worrell was previously convicted of trafficking methamphetamine in Clark County. FOX5 Vegas notes that Caputo has prior federal drug convictions in Oregon and Washington, establishing him as a career criminal who crossed state lines for illegal enterprises.
Part of Broader Pattern
This case fits into a troubling pattern of firearms-related federal prosecutions in Nevada. In 2019, federal prosecutors secured convictions against individuals who stole 65 firearms, including machine guns and silencers, from the Shooting, Hunting, and Outdoor Trade show in Las Vegas, according to U.S. Department of Justice records.
The case was investigated by the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms, and Explosives and the Las Vegas Metropolitan Police Department, with Assistant United States Attorney Dan Cowhig prosecuting, as reported by News3LV. Acting United States Attorney Sigal Chattah for the District of Nevada announced the sentencing.
Worrell pleaded guilty to one count of theft of firearms from a licensee and one count of possession of stolen firearms. The federal charges reflect the government's focus on disrupting the illegal firearms trade at multiple points in the distribution chain, from theft to street sales.
