Jacksonville, Florida - U.S. District Judge Marcia Morales Howard has sentenced Bruquanna Griffin (22, Jacksonville) to 5 years and 10 months in federal prison for stealing firearms and for conspiring to steal firearms from federally licensed firearms dealers. Griffin had pleaded guilty on March 12, 2018.
According to court documents, throughout the summer of 2017, Griffin and another individual worked together to steal firearms from at least three Jacksonville gun stores. At each location, a co-conspirator distracted the sales staff while Griffin snuck behind the counter to steal handguns. She stole as many as five guns from a single location.
On Aug. 23, 2017, Griffin was arrested after she attempted to leave a gun store with two stolen pistols in her purse. Initially, she provided a false name to the arresting officers. Eventually, Griffin admitted her involvement in the theft ring. She explained to the officers that, after she stole the firearms, her co-conspirator kept some of them, sold others, and traded others for drugs.
This case was investigated by the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives and the Jacksonville Sherriff’s Office. It was prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Michael J. Coolican.
Source: U.S. Department of Justice, Office of the United States Attorneys
