GRAND RAPIDS, MICHIGAN — Xavier Velvie McCarty, 22, of
Muskegon, Michigan, was sentenced to seventy (70) months in federal prison for
possessing firearms as a convicted felon, U.S. Attorney Patrick A. Miles, Jr.
announced today. In addition to the prison term, U.S. District Judge Paul L.
Maloney imposed a three-year term of supervised release that will commence once
McCarty is released from imprisonment.
McCarty pleaded guilty on April 9, 2015. The facts
underlying his conviction were outlined in a written plea agreement and in the
government’s sentencing memorandum. During the early morning hours of October
14, 2014, McCarty broke into a federally licensed firearms dealer in Robinson
Township, Ottawa County, Michigan. He used a hammer to smash a display case,
and he then removed approximately 30 handguns from the case and placed them
into a duffel bag he had brought with him. While McCarty was stealing the
handguns, a silent alarm alerted police to the burglary. Officers responded to
the scene, and McCarty fled through a broken window, leaving the duffel bag of
stolen handguns behind. Police apprehended him nearby a short time later.
McCarty had previously been convicted of a felony drug
offense, and he was on probation for another drug offense at the time. He later
admitted that he intended to sell the stolen handguns.
In imposing sentence, Judge Maloney emphasized the serious
nature of McCarty’s conduct and the grave risk it posed to the community. Judge
Maloney noted that McCarty’s sentence would serve as an appropriate deterrent
for others contemplating similar conduct. He also ordered McCarty to pay $880
in restitution to repair the property that was damaged and destroyed during the
break-in.
The Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives
(ATF), the Ottawa County Sherriff’s Office, and the Holland Police Department
investigated the case. Assistant U.S. Attorney Sean M. Lewis prosecuted the
case.
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