Two young men allegedly committed a burglary of a firearms business in Dallas. The two individuals have been charged with theft as well as possession of stolen firearms. Law enforcement tracked down the men with stolen guns after viewing surveillance camera footage. The footage showed three men leaving the Dallas Fort Worth Gun Range on May 31st around 1:45 a.m. They stole over 40 firearms.
Firearm Theft
The theft only took around 80 seconds. The group of men allegedly opened the side entrance of the building, stole three rifles on the wall, and then smashed the glass cases holding other firearms. They snatched several dozen handguns that were inside of the glass cases. The Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms, and Explosives worked with local law enforcement to find the three individuals on the video footage.
When law enforcement found one of the men involved in the gun theft, they discovered four additional stolen guns as well as 76 rounds of ammunition, and bags of crack cocaine. One of the suspects admitted to stealing from the gun range. The man gave agents permission to search his hotel room, and they found a sixth stolen firearm at that location. If convicted, the defendants face up to 20 years in federal prison. The third man allegedly involved in the burglary remains at large.
Facing Burglary Charges in Dallas
Burglary is a serious crime in Texas. The crime of burglary involves entering someone else’s property without his or her consent. Additionally, the crime of burglary is more serious than trespassing. People accused of burglary need to have entered someone else’s property with the intention of committing a crime.
The men allegedly involved in the gun theft burglarized a place that is not a home. Because their crime involved firearms, they face a prison sentence in federal prison. At the state level, those charged with burglary could spend up to two years in jail and face fines up to $10,000.
The Difference Between Criminal Trespass and Burglary
Criminal trespass is somewhat similar to burglary, but the required intent is different. When someone enters a building with the intent to commit a crime, the charge will be burglary. But, when someone simply enters someone else’s property without permission, prosecutors will bring criminal trespass charges.
Depending on the circumstances of the case, a defendant’s lawyer may be able to negotiate to reduce the charges from burglary to criminal trespassing. If the defendant can give a valid reason for entering someone’s private property without permission, the prosecutor could be more willing to negotiate. The penalties for criminal trespassing involve servicing a 180-day jail sentence and paying fines of up to $2,000.
Charged With Burglary? We can Help
If you are facing a Burglary charge in the Dallas/Fort Worth area, you need an experienced lawyer on your side. Contact the experienced criminal defense lawyers at Abel Law Firm as soon as possible to schedule your initial consultation and learn how we can help you.