An Alabama man was sentenced to more than 17 years in prison for burglarizing two gun stores, possessing stolen firearms and transporting those weapons to states in the Midwest and East, federal prosecutors said.
During a hearing Thursday, U.S. District Judge Michael P. Mills sentenced Marquis Devon McCray, 34, of Sheffield, Alabama, to prison and ordered him to pay restitution of more than $58,000 for the value of the weapons stolen and damage to property, the U.S. Attorney's Office for the Northern District of Mississippi said in a news release.
McCray orchestrated the Feb. 17, 2019 burglary of Oxford Pawn Shop in which 35 firearms were stolen, according to court documents. McCray and his co-defendants then transported those guns to New Jersey where they were sold on the streets, according to authorities. Law enforcement in the Newark, New Jersey area recovered 10 of those guns after they were used in violent crimes, authorities said.
McCray also led a group in the Aug. 1, 2019, burglary of TNT Pawn in Booneville, Mississippi, where 49 firearms were stolen and transported to Chicago, according to authorities. A number of those guns, sold on the streets, have been recovered by Chicago Police.
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"This defendant callously helped contribute to violence and misery in communities that were already struggling with extreme levels of gun violence," said U.S. Attorney Clay Joyner. "He deserves every day of his sentence, and we are proud to stand with ATF and our state and local partners to stem the illegal flow of firearms."
McCray’s co-defendant, Galvin Davis, was previously sentenced to 14 years for his role in one of the burglaries.
