An investigation into a series of burglaries last winter at the Hunter's Refuge sporting goods store in White Hall led to the early morning arrests Thursday of five people who were indicted Aug. 5 on federal charges of possessing stolen guns.
A sixth defendant was already in state custody on unrelated charges.
The indictment was sealed until after Thursday's arrests by agents of the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives, assisted by officers with the Pine Bluff and White Hall police departments.
According to a news release from U.S. Attorney Chris Thyer and Grover Crossland, resident agent in charge of the ATF, the bureau's investigation revealed that 24 handguns were stolen from locked glass display cases when a group of burglars broke into the store Dec. 18.
A second break-in Jan. 8 resulted in the theft of 62 more guns, including eight assault rifles, for a total of 86 weapons taken. A number of the stolen guns have since been recovered, Thyer and Crossland said, without specifying how many.
The indictment charges each defendant with a single count of possessing stolen firearms.
According to the list, the handguns stolen in the first break-in were mostly .40-caliber Glocks, as well as Rugers, Sig Sauers, a Walther and a Beretta. The guns stolen in the second break-in were mostly handguns, with brands including Colt, Ruger, Glock, Kimber, Smith & Wesson, Sig Sauer, Springfield, Stoeger, Taurus and Walther.
The five arrested Thursday are to be arraigned at 2 p.m. today before U.S. Magistrate Judge Joe Volpe in Little Rock.
Sir Arthur Carrington-Fields was identified as the only person charged in the first break-in, and is accused of possessing at least one of the stolen guns.
Five others face a count of possession of one or more of the 62 guns stolen in the second burglary. They were identified as Jakheeno Stewart, Charles Moore Jr., Rodderick Goins, Raheem Wise and Martel Donaldson.
All six are 19 years old and from Pine Bluff.
Metro on 08/21/2015