Fifth Member of Alleged Gun Trafficking Group Arrested on Indictment Charging the Burglary of a Pawn Shop for Guns
WASHINGTON – A fifth defendant was arrested this morning as part of an 11-count indictment, filed in U.S. District Court, connected to the December 13, 2023, robbery of nearly three dozen firearms – which included handguns, rifles, and shotguns – from a pawn shop in Glen Burnie, Maryland that is a Federal Firearms Licensee. The indictment was announced by U.S. Attorney Matthew M. Graves, Special Agent in Charge Craig Kailimai of the ATF’s Washington Field Division, and Chief Pamela A. Smith of the Metropolitan Police Department.
Earlier today, agents with the ATF and officers from MPD arrested defendant Tyjuan McNeal, 27, of Washington, D.C. Charged in the conspiracy with McNeal are: Vincent Lee Alston, aka “Vedo,” 22, Juwon Markel Anderson aka “Peezy,” 21, and Niquan Odumn, aka “Stickz” and “Debo,” 22, all of Washington, D.C., and Cy’Juan Hemsley, aka “Juan,” 18, of District Heights, Maryland. Alston and Anderson were arrested December 15, 2023. Hemsley and Odumn are also in custody. The charges include conspiracy to commit firearm trafficking, conspiracy to commit theft from a federal firearms licensee, unlawful possession of stolen firearms, unlawful possession of firearms by a convicted felon, and interstate transportation of a stolen motor vehicle.
“These defendants allegedly conspired to steal dozens of firearms from a licensed dealer and to illegally flood our community with them,” said U.S. Attorney Graves. “The spread of illegal firearms is like the spread of a virus; when there are more illegal guns in the community, more people will get hurt. We appreciate the efforts of our partners at ATF and MPD to stop these firearms from hitting our streets.”
“This group of individuals was looking to make a quick profit by filling the streets of D.C. with firearms and arming the sort of people who aim to destroy our communities,” said Special Agent in Charge Kailimai. “But, today, we derailed that plan by arresting a fifth member involved in this scheme, all while seizing more of the stolen firearms. We will continue protecting the public from the proliferation of illegal guns.”
According to the indictment, one of the goals of the conspiracy was to transport stolen firearms from the Maryland pawn shop into the District, and then sell or transfer the stolen firearms to other individuals. The indictment further alleges that on December 13, 2023, the five men broke into the pawn shop with a portable saw and a crowbar. They collected 34 firearms and traveled back to Washington D.C. in a stolen red sedan. Later that day, a co-conspirator attempted to sell some of the stolen guns. Hemsley reached out to an associate stating that “I got u a gift” and “I got u a missile” while sending a video of two firearms. On December 14, 2023, one of the co-conspirators transferred four of the firearms – which included two Smith & Wesson M&Ps; a Glock 47, 9mm; and an FN, FNX 45 – to an unknown third party.
This case is being investigated by the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives and the Metropolitan Police Department, with assistance from the ATF Baltimore Field Division. It is being prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorneys Shehzad Akhtar and Ryan Lipes.
An indictment is merely a formal charge that a defendant has committed a violation of criminal laws and every defendant is presumed innocent until, and unless, proven guilty.
