Ethan Ayala, William Mejia, Johariel Quezada, Conspiracy to Steal Firearms, New Hampshire 2022

CONCORD – In a shocking case of gun theft, three Massachusetts men have been indicted for conspiracy to steal firearms from New Hampshire Federal Firearm Licensees.

Ethan Ayala, 20, of Methuen, William Mejia, 19, of Lawrence, and Johariel Quezada, 18, of Methuen, were indicted by a federal grand jury on June 13, 2022, and charged with one count of conspiracy to steal firearms.

The indictment alleges that between on or about August 29, 2021 and on or about October 4, 2021, in the District of New Hampshire and elsewhere, the three men conspired to steal firearms from three New Hampshire Federal Firearms Licensees: Milford Firearms, Second Amendment Arms, and MacPherson Firearms.

During the course of the conspiracy, the group stole over 40 firearms, some of which have been recovered in Massachusetts. The charges in the indictment are only allegations; the defendants are presumed to be innocent unless and until proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt in a court of law.

Ayala was arrested in Methuen on June 16, 2022, and was released to a third-party custodian on conditions of electronic monitoring and a 6:00pm to 8:00am curfew. Mejia was arrested in Lawrence on the same date and released on conditions of home detention with electronic monitoring. Quezada, however, has not yet been arrested but is currently in custody at the Essex County House of Corrections on Massachusetts charges.

The case was investigated by the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives, with assistance from multiple police departments in Massachusetts and New Hampshire.

The defendants’ current status is as follows: Ayala is currently under electronic monitoring with a curfew, Mejia is under home detention with electronic monitoring, and Quezada is in custody on unrelated Massachusetts charges.

This case highlights the importance of cooperation between law enforcement agencies in combating gun theft and related crimes.

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