Carlyle Ray Wells, Theft of Firearms, Montana 2020
Gun Thief Sentenced to Prison
GREAT FALLS, MT - A Great Falls man who admitted breaking into an outfitting business and stealing 27 firearms has been sentenced to six years and three months in prison and to three years of supervised release, Acting U.S. Attorney Leif Johnson said.
Carlyle Ray Wells, 25, pleaded guilty on Oct. 8, 2020 to theft of a firearm from a federal firearms licensee.
On Nov. 30, 2019, Great Falls Police officers responded to a burglary alarm at North 40 Outfitters. Officers saw that a gun display case had been smashed and guns appeared to be missing.
Security footage at the business showed a small pickup truck had parked outside, just prior to the alarm. One individual exited the truck, forcefully entered the store, broke the gun case, took firearms and fled.
Officers identified the vehicle as a stolen Ford Ranger and located it near Wells' residence. Security footage showed an individual, whose clothing and physical description aligned with the North 40 burglar, walk toward Wells' residence carrying a large bag. During a search of Wells' residence, law enforcement recovered 16 firearms, 15 of which were stolen from North 40.
An audit showed that 27 firearms were stolen in the North 40 burglary. Eleven of the stolen firearms, including an AR-15 style assault rifle, remain at large.
Assistant U.S. Attorney Ethan Plaut prosecuted the case, which was investigated by the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives, FBI, Great Falls Police Department and the Russell Country Drug Task Force.
This case is part of Project Guardian, a Department of Justice initiative launched in the fall of 2019 to reduce gun violence and enforce federal firearms laws.
Key Facts
- State: Montana
- Category: Weapons
- Source: DOJ Press Release â†â€â€
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