Bradley Lynn Bishop, Theft of Firearms from Federal Firearms Licensee, Texas 2023

A Midland man who stole 70 firearms from a Federal Firearms Licensee in Snyder, Texas, has been sentenced to 10 years in federal prison, announced U.S. Attorney for the Northern District of Texas Leigha Simonton.

Bradley Lynn Bishop, 46, was charged via criminal complaint in June 2023 and pleaded guilty to one count of theft of firearms from a Federal Firearms Licensee in September 2023.

The crime occurred on June 26, 2023, when law enforcement responded to College Avenue Jewelry and Pawn in response to a burglary where 70 firearms were stolen from the business the previous day.

During the investigation, law enforcement determined that the building appeared to have been breached by a hole cut in the wall. Once in the building the suspect unlocked and unlatched the rear door. The alarm sensors on the top of the rear exit door were also disabled and wires removed.

A nearby business had a camera that faced the rear of the Pawn shop and revealed a white Dodge pickup pulling into the back of the shop. The truck was observed coming and going from the business three separate times, an individual could be seen walking to and from the truck with a bag in their hand.

Law enforcement searched a local license plate reader system for a vehicle matching the Dodge truck and a match was found. The license plate was confirmed to be a company truck for Trend Services. The company was contacted and they advised that the vehicle had GPS tracking and had been located near College Avenue Jewelry and Pawn on the night of the burglary.

Trend Services also confirmed that Mr. Bishop was the driver assigned to that vehicle. The day after the burglary, law enforcement went to the residence of Mr. Bishop. The Doge pickup was parked behind the house, as agents approached the pickup they observed the driver’s side door open and a pair of feet on the ground next to the door.

Mr. Bishop fled the scene on foot and was taken into custody after a foot chase. A search of the truck revealed six of the firearms and an electrical meter stolen from the Pawn shop.

U.S. District Judge James Wesley Hendrix sentenced Mr. Bishop to the statutory maximum 10 years in federal prison. The Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms, & Explosives, with assistance from the Snyder Police Department conducted the investigation. Assistant U.S. Attorney Stephen Rancourt prosecuted the case.

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