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Stolen Firearms Ring Busted in Missouri
A brazen burglary at the Tiger Pawn Shop in Columbia, Mo., has led to a guilty plea from a Mexico, Mo., man.
Tyler Andrew Hilderman, 27, pleaded guilty in federal court to possessing stolen firearms and stealing firearms from a licensed firearms dealer.
Co-defendant Alexander Mears, 21, of Columbia, Mo., pleaded guilty on July 14, 2020, to possessing stolen firearms. Mears admitted that he and Hilderman stole 65 firearms during the burglary of Tiger Pawn Shop in September 2019.
According to Mears’s plea agreement, he and Hilderman made a hole in the building’s wall in order to enter the pawn shop. Mears handed the firearms through the hole in the building wall to Hilderman, who remained outside.
Hilderman received one pistol from the burglary, a Springfield Armory .45-caliber pistol. He was supposed to receive half the proceeds from the sale of the remainder of the firearms. The pistol was found by law enforcement officers who executed a search warrant at a residence in Cooper County, Mo. The occupant of the residence told officers he purchased the gun from a woman, who in turn said she obtained the gun from Hilderman.
This case is being prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney Jim Lynn. It was investigated by the Columbia, Mo., Police Department and the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives.
Hilderman’s guilty plea brings an end to a lengthy investigation into the burglary and gun trafficking operation. The case serves as a reminder of the importance of law enforcement agencies working together to combat gun violence and keep communities safe.
Key Facts
- State: Missouri
- Category: Weapons|Violent Crime
- Source: DOJ Press Release â†â€â€
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