Horse Cave Man Sentenced for Stealing Firearms From Employer
BOWLING GREEN, KENTUCKY – Brandon Wayne Parker, age 41, of Horse Cave, Kentucky was sentenced today by Chief United States District Judge Greg N. Stivers to serve 82 months in federal prison and pay restitution in the amount of $99,588.40 for Theft of Firearms from a Federal Firearms Licensee, Possession of Stolen Firearms, Providing False Information on ATF Forms 4473, and Aggravated Identity Theft. There is no parole in the federal system.
“I commend the outstanding work of the ATF in this case,” stated Acting U.S. Attorney Michael A. Bennett. “Identifying, arresting, and prosecuting individuals involved in the theft of firearms is an important part of our overall strategy to combat violent crime and keep our communities safe.”
“Federally licensed firearms dealers work with ATF’s Louisville Field Division to ensure the lawful sale of guns in shops throughout Kentucky and West Virginia,” stated Special Agent in Charge, R. Shawn Morrow of the ATF Louisville Field Division. “In this case, an employee stole firearms from his employer through ongoing fraud and identity theft. ATF is committed to the safety of our communities by investigating and arresting those who obtain firearms through illegal means.”
According to court documents, Parker was employed by Master Pawn of Horse Cave, a federally licensed firearms dealer, located in Horse Cave, Kentucky. In his plea agreement, Parker admitted that he stole approximately 335 firearms from Master Pawn between November 2016 and August 22, 2018. Parker also admitted that he provided false information on ATF Forms 4473 by entering identification information of legitimate purchasers, without their knowledge, to fraudulently obtain and steal the firearms. An ATF Form 4473 is required to be filled out to purchase a firearm from a federally licensed firearms dealer.
The Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms, and Explosives (ATF) investigated the case.
Assistant U.S. Attorney Joshua Judd prosecuted the case.
This case is part of Project Safe Neighborhoods (PSN), the centerpiece of the Department of Justice’s violent crime reduction efforts. PSN is an evidence-based program proven to be effective at reducing violent crime. Through PSN, a broad spectrum of stakeholders work together to identify the most pressing violent crime problems in the community and develop comprehensive solutions to address them. As part of this strategy, PSN focuses enforcement efforts on the most violent offenders and partners with locally based prevention and reentry programs for lasting reductions in crime.
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