McNeely had one of the 21 firearms stolen from Outpost Guns,
in Sturgis, Michigan, on November 12, 2015
GRAND RAPIDS, MICHIGAN — Kevonte Derome McNeely, age 24, of
Kalamazoo, Michigan, was sentenced to five years in federal prison following
his conviction for unlawful possession of a firearm as a felon, U.S. Attorney
Patrick A. Miles, Jr., announced. In addition to the 60-month prison term, U.S.
District Court Chief Judge Robert J. Jonker imposed a fine of $1,200 and a
three-year term of supervised release, which will begin when McNeely is
released from prison.
McNeely pled guilty on April 19, 2016, to knowingly
possessing a firearm as a felon on November 16, 2015. The firearm McNeely had
in his possession was an assault rifle, similar to an AK-47, which was stolen
from Outpost Guns, in Sturgis, Michigan, on November 12, 2015. In total, 21
firearms were stolen that day from the store. A joint investigation involving
the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms, and Explosives (ATF), the Kalamazoo
Department of Public Safety, and the Sturgis Police Department revealed that,
within a few days of the theft, the stolen firearms were transported from
Sturgis to Kalamazoo and sold to multiple buyers. Five of the 21 stolen
firearms have been recovered by law enforcement. The investigation is ongoing
with respect to other subjects involved in trafficking or possessing the stolen
firearms.
Kevonte McNeely is the first to be sentenced of six
defendants who have been charged federally, to date, in connection with the
firearms stolen from Outpost Guns. Jorel Gefferard, of Sturgis, was indicted in
a separate case that charges him with the theft of the firearms, unlawful
possession of one or more firearms as a felon, and possessing, concealing, and
storing the stolen firearms following the Outpost Guns theft. Kevonte McNeely’s
brother, Keondre McNeely, also of Kalamazoo, was indicted in the same case as
Gefferard, along with a third individual, Roscoe Manns, of Sturgis, for
receiving, possessing, concealing, and storing the stolen firearms following
the theft. Keondre McNeely is considered a fugitive and remains at large; the
District Court issued a warrant for his arrest. Two other Kalamazoo men, Ronald
Eugene Dafney, and Kenneth Parnell Williams, were indicted in separate cases
for unlawfully possessing as felons one or more of the firearms that were among
the 21 stolen from Outpost Guns. All of these other cases remain pending. The
charges in an indictment are merely accusations, and the defendants are
presumed innocent until and unless proven guilty in a court of law.
“This case demonstrates how quickly a significant number of
firearms can be stolen, moved, and sold, often landing in the hands of people
who cannot legally purchase firearms because of prior felony convictions,
thereby placing members of our communities at risk,” said U.S. Attorney Patrick
Miles. The U.S. Attorney’s Office works closely with the ATF to investigate,
identify, and prosecute individuals involved in trafficking stolen firearms.
“Thefts from Federal Firearm Licensees will always be one of
our highest priorities,” said ATF Special Agent in Charge Robin Shoemaker.
“Firearms in the hands of those who should not have them presents a public
safety issue, and threatens the safety of our communities. ATF will continue to
work with our partners to aggressively follow the gun to recover those firearms
and put those individuals behind bars.”
Assistant U.S. Attorney Kate Zell prosecuted the case.
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