GREENBELT, MD – A brazen smash-and-grab at a St. Mary’s County firearms dealer landed 30-year-old Robert Jacob Eberle of Lexington Park in federal court today, where he pleaded guilty to the theft of 11 firearms. Eberle, a convicted felon, confessed to breaking into the establishment and making off with a cache of handguns.
The U.S. Attorney for the District of Maryland, Robert K. Hur, alongside ATF Special Agent in Charge Rob Cekada and St. Mary’s County Sheriff Tim Cameron, announced the guilty plea. According to the plea agreement, Eberle’s crime unfolded on July 21, 2018. He didn’t bother with finesse; instead, he used a hammer to pulverize a cinderblock wall at the rear of the building, creating an entry point. Once inside, he shattered a display case and absconded with seven 9mm pistols, two .45-caliber pistols, a .40-caliber pistol, and a .380-caliber pistol.
But the theft wasn’t the end of it. Eberle admitted to selling or trading at least two of the stolen guns to individuals he *knew* likely intended to use them illegally. This wasn’t a simple property crime; it was a deliberate fueling of potential further violence. Adding insult to injury, Eberle was already prohibited from possessing firearms due to a prior felony conviction – a fact he conveniently ignored.
Federal prosecutors have secured a forfeiture agreement, meaning Eberle will be forced to surrender all the stolen firearms. However, that hardly compensates for the danger he unleashed by putting those weapons into the wrong hands. The case highlights a recurring problem: repeat offenders exploiting lax security and contributing to the flow of illegal guns.
Eberle is now facing a maximum sentence of 10 years in federal prison for the theft of firearms. U.S. District Judge Paula Xinis has scheduled sentencing for August 26, 2019, at 1:00 p.m. This case is being prosecuted under Project Safe Neighborhoods (PSN), a Department of Justice initiative aimed at reducing violent crime through coordinated law enforcement efforts and community partnerships.
U.S. Attorney Hur praised the ATF and the St. Mary’s County Sheriff’s Office for their diligent investigation, and specifically thanked Assistant U.S. Attorney Joseph Baldwin for his work on the prosecution. The Grimy Times will continue to follow this case and report on the sentencing.
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Key Facts
- State: Maryland
- Agency: DOJ USAO
- Category: Weapons
- Source: Official Source ↗
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