Phillip M. Brown, Possession of a Firearm, Nebraska 2020

In a brazen burglary, a Grand Island man has been sentenced to 77 months in prison for his role in stealing 15 firearms from a local resident's home. Phillip M. Brown, 41, was handed down the sentence by Senior United States District Court Judge Richard G. Kopf on March 12, 2020, to be followed by three years of supervised release.

According to court documents, the burglary occurred on the night of December 13, 2018, when Brown and an accomplice, Edwin Starman, broke into the home of a Grand Island resident. The burglars made off with at least 15 firearms, including seven shotguns, four handguns, and four rifles. The stolen firearms were valued, but the exact amount was not disclosed.

Investigation revealed that Brown had learned about the gun safe in the home and was provided with a key to the safe. Brown and Starman carried several firearms out of the residence and transported them to an apartment in Grand Island, where Brown began contacting various people to find buyers for the guns. Brown also instructed Starman to return to the home to steal more firearms.

Starman and a third person, Chelsea Musquiz, returned to the home that same night and stole additional items, including more firearms. The Grand Island Police Department was able to recover several of the stolen firearms. Starman and Musquiz have both entered pleas to charges in the District Court of Hall County, Nebraska.

At Brown's sentencing hearing, Judge Kopf held Brown responsible for a total of 15 firearms. Brown was assessed enhancements under the Sentencing Guidelines due to factors including the number of firearms involved in the offense and the fact that the firearms were stolen.

This case was investigated by the Grand Island Police Department and the Central Nebraska Drug and Safe Streets Task Force. The investigation revealed that Brown's involvement in the burglary was significant, and his sentence reflects the seriousness of the offense.

Source: https://www.justice.gov/usao-ne/pr/grand-island-man-sentenced-77-months-imprisonment-possession-firearm