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Branchland Man Pleads Guilty to Theft of Firearms
HUNTINGTON, W.Va. – In a brazen act of thievery, an 18-year-old Branchland man helped break into a local pawn shop and steal a cache of firearms, pleading guilty in federal court in Huntington.
Jonathan Chafin, 18, entered a guilty plea to theft of firearms from a federally licensed firearms dealer before United States District Judge Robert C. Chambers. The crime is a serious offense, with stolen firearms often ending up in the wrong hands and involved in violent crimes.
On December 7, 2017, Chafin and Robert Lee Reid broke into Sportsmen’s Gun and Pawn located at 6440 US Route 60 in Barboursville to steal firearms. Reid entered the store through a hole he and Chafin broke in the wall and stole a total of 10 firearms. While inside, Reid passed the firearms through the hole in the wall to Chafin, who waited outside.
Chafin and Reid were subsequently picked up in a vehicle and the vehicle was stopped in West Hamlin by a West Hamlin Police Officer. During the traffic stop, the officer located the stolen firearms in the rear of the vehicle where Chafin and Reid were seated. As part of his plea, Chafin also admitted that he assisted Reid in the May 15, 2017, theft of a total of 164 firearms, also from Sportsmen’s.
United States Attorney Mike Stuart applauded the investigation, which was conducted by the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives (ATF) with assistance from the West Hamlin Police Department. “Theft of firearms is a very serious crime,” said Stuart. “Stolen firearms most often end up in the wrong hands and involved in violent crimes – crimes that could kill law enforcement and other innocent people.”
Chafin faces up to 10 years in federal prison when he is sentenced on September 18, 2018. Reid pleaded guilty on June 11, 2017, to multiple federal firearms charges for his role in the thefts and is scheduled to be sentenced on September 10, 2018.
Assistant United States Attorney Joseph F. Adams is handling the prosecution. This case is part of Project Safe Neighborhoods (PSN), a program bringing together all levels of law enforcement and the communities they serve to reduce violent crime and make our neighborhoods safer for everyone.
Key Facts
- State: West Virginia
- Category: Violent Crime|Weapons
- Source: DOJ Press Release â†â€â€
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