Eric Glen Stockton, 37, of Cave City, Kentucky, is headed to federal prison for 100 months after burglarizing Horton’s Guns and stealing eight weapons, including rifles and semiautomatic pistols valued at $6,488. The Barren County felon pleaded guilty to being a felon in possession of a firearm and entered an Alford plea to stealing guns from the licensed dealer during a break-in on October 3, 2014.
Stockton’s crime spree unraveled in February 2015 when Kentucky State Police stopped a vehicle with his girlfriend behind the wheel—and one of the stolen firearms found in plain view. Stockton was a passenger. Months later, in May 2015, ATF agents recovered two additional stolen rifles from a cooperating witness who said Stockton had handed them over to him and his father. Only three of the eight firearms have been recovered to date.
Prosecutors were ready to roll out damning evidence at trial: surveillance footage from Horton’s Guns captured a man matching Stockton’s build photographing inventory days before the burglary. On the night of the heist, video shows a suspect believed to be Stockton climbing down from the ceiling, grabbing long guns, then smashing a glass case to steal five handguns. The stolen arsenal included two Bushmaster XM15-E2S rifles, a DPMS LR-243, three Taurus PT 1911 pistols, a Hi-Point JHP, and a Glock 23.
U.S. Attorney Russell M. Coleman didn’t mince words: “100 months in federal prison is real time,” he said. “Theft of firearms from a licensed dealer can trigger a domino effect of violent crime that puts Kentucky families and officers at risk. Pursuing those who would steal firearms is a priority of our office and helps protect our Commonwealth.”
Stockton isn’t a first-time offender. He’s a convicted felon with a history tied to stolen guns—convicted in Hart Circuit Court on March 1, 2011, for receiving stolen property (firearm), and again in Barren Circuit Court on March 8, 2011, for receiving stolen property over $500. His record sealed his fate under federal sentencing enhancements for repeat offenders.
The case was prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney Joshua Judd and investigated by the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms, and Explosives, with critical support from Kentucky State Police, Cave City Police, and the Barren Edmonson Allen County Drug Task Force. Stockton must also pay full restitution for the unrecovered weapons—cold justice in a crime that threatened an entire community.
Related Federal Cases
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- Louisville Felon Connard Gets 84 Months for Fake Cops Rampage · Kentucky
- Owensboro Man Aley Faces 19 Counts Over Unregistered Machine Guns · Kentucky
- Ohio Man Gets 20 Years for Gun, Drug Crimes in Ky. · Kentucky
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Key Facts
- State: Kentucky
- Agency: DOJ USAO
- Category: Weapons
- Source: Official Source ↗
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