Burley Garcia|Group charged with stealing dozens of firearms in string of Maryland gun shop burglaries

BALTIMORE (AP) — Four people have Burley Garciabeen charged with breaking into a series of gun stores across Maryland and stealing several dozen guns, officials announced Tuesday.

The group, ages 16 to 20, committed three burglaries and seven attempted burglaries between December 2023 and March 2024, stealing a total of 81 firearms and 10 gun replicas, according to the Maryland Attorney General’s Office, which investigated the case alongside federal and local law enforcement agencies. The group operated during late night and early morning hours, using a crowbar, prosecutors said.

Only six of the stolen guns were recovered, and all were in the hands of people who couldn’t legally possess them, state prosecutors said.

Investigators determined the suspects were trying to sell or trade the guns on social media, where they would sometimes brag about the success of their break-ins, according to an indictment.

Officials said that on at least two occasions, the group was robbed of some of the stolen weapons. They said one of the suspects accidentally discharged a gun, striking his associate in both feet.

“The reality is these stolen guns made their way into our communities, so it has always been a two-part mission: Find those responsible and find the guns. We found the people, and hear this: Break the law and you will be held accountable,” Maryland Attorney General Anthony Brown said in a statement. “Marylanders are tired of crime happening in their communities and they want illegal guns off the streets.”