This guy breaks into a gun store twice, steals 25 guns, assaults a guard, and gets charged with only ONE count of possession of a stolen gun? Has a "plea bargain" smell all over it.
STORY HERE
Man pleads guilty in theft from gun store
By Mark Larabee of The Oregonian staff
A Portland man indicted on federal weapons charges in the theft of 25 firearms from a gun store pleaded guilty this week in U.S. District Court in Portland.
Patrick Wesley Miller, 23, faced two counts of stealing a firearm from a federally licensed dealer and one count of possession of stolen firearms.
He was accused in April of burglaries at the Shooters Service Center off North Lombard Street.
By pleading guilty Monday to one charge of stealing a firearm, Miller faces a potential 10-year federal prison sentence, said Fred Weinhouse, assistant U.S. attorney.
Miller was already in jail on state robbery and criminal trespassing charges when he was indicted by the federal grand jury.
He was accused of shoplifting from a North Portland Fred Meyer store on March 19.
Police said he punched a store security guard who confronted him.
Miller burglarized the gun store twice, authorities said. On Feb. 4, he broke into the basement and smashed a glass display case, stealing 10 guns. On March 13, he broke in through the roof, taking 15 handguns.
Portland police and U.S. Alcohol, Tobacco, and Firearms agents connected Miller to the thefts after a Forest Grove man brought a .357-caliber revolver to police and asked them to check its serial number. It came up stolen.
Police have retrieved four of the stolen guns, most recently a handgun used in an attempted murder.
"This is a significant case because these guns are out in the community now, and they're untraceable," Weinhouse said.
"If a police officer was to find one of these at a crime scene, the trace would come back as stolen. They would not be able to trace it back to a person."
Miller remains at the Justice Center Jail.
Sentencing is scheduled for Oct. 26.
Copyright 2000 Oregon Live.
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"The night is nearly over; the day is almost here. So let us put aside
the deeds of darkness and put on the armor of light." (Romans 13:12)
STORY HERE
Man pleads guilty in theft from gun store
By Mark Larabee of The Oregonian staff
A Portland man indicted on federal weapons charges in the theft of 25 firearms from a gun store pleaded guilty this week in U.S. District Court in Portland.
Patrick Wesley Miller, 23, faced two counts of stealing a firearm from a federally licensed dealer and one count of possession of stolen firearms.
He was accused in April of burglaries at the Shooters Service Center off North Lombard Street.
By pleading guilty Monday to one charge of stealing a firearm, Miller faces a potential 10-year federal prison sentence, said Fred Weinhouse, assistant U.S. attorney.
Miller was already in jail on state robbery and criminal trespassing charges when he was indicted by the federal grand jury.
He was accused of shoplifting from a North Portland Fred Meyer store on March 19.
Police said he punched a store security guard who confronted him.
Miller burglarized the gun store twice, authorities said. On Feb. 4, he broke into the basement and smashed a glass display case, stealing 10 guns. On March 13, he broke in through the roof, taking 15 handguns.
Portland police and U.S. Alcohol, Tobacco, and Firearms agents connected Miller to the thefts after a Forest Grove man brought a .357-caliber revolver to police and asked them to check its serial number. It came up stolen.
Police have retrieved four of the stolen guns, most recently a handgun used in an attempted murder.
"This is a significant case because these guns are out in the community now, and they're untraceable," Weinhouse said.
"If a police officer was to find one of these at a crime scene, the trace would come back as stolen. They would not be able to trace it back to a person."
Miller remains at the Justice Center Jail.
Sentencing is scheduled for Oct. 26.
Copyright 2000 Oregon Live.
------------------
"The night is nearly over; the day is almost here. So let us put aside
the deeds of darkness and put on the armor of light." (Romans 13:12)
