Two Maryland men were charged Thursday with stealing more 50 firearms from a Virginia gun shop in April 2023, among multiple additional crimes.
Prosecutors said 21-year-old Cedric Minger and 22-year-old Victor Jones, along with two co-conspirators, drove from D.C. to Dominion Defense in Springfield in a stolen Acura ILX on April 29.
The men were able to break the exterior glass door but couldn’t enter through the interior door, leading Minger to shoot at it in an attempt to get in. When this failed, he wiggled his way inside through an opening at the top of the door.
According to the U.S. Attorney’s Office, Minger stole over 50 firearms and gave them to Jones and the co-conspirators, who loaded them into the Acura and then drove back to the District.
Prosecutors said Minger and Jones had previously tried to burglarize a Rockville gun shop called Engage Armament on April 20.
On May 10, Minger and at least two co-conspirators attempted to burglarize a Maryland gun shop called Top Gun Firearms, according to authorities.
Minger and Jones were also charged with conspiracy to steal firearms from federal firearms licensees and interstate transportation of stolen firearms and stolen vehicles — including the Acura, as well as a Nissan Sentra used in the attempted Top Gun Firearms burglary — according to prosecutors.
The two Maryland men are looking at a maximum sentence of five years in prison for the conspiracy to steal the firearms and up to 10 years in prison for each additional charge.
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