U.S. Attorney Jesse A. Laslovich | U.S. Department of Justice
A Joliet man has been sentenced to over six years in prison following his involvement in a burglary at a Billings pawnshop, where firearms were stolen. Lucious Machiavelli, also known as Robert Allen Boyden, aged 48, pleaded guilty to the theft from a federal firearms licensee and was sentenced to six years and five months of imprisonment. This will be followed by three years of supervised release, according to U.S. Attorney Jesse Laslovich.
U.S. District Judge Susan P. Watters presided over the case and ordered restitution amounting to $8,783.
Court documents reveal that the burglary occurred on September 11, 2023, at Pawnbrokers West in Billings. The incident took place shortly before 3 a.m., resulting in the theft of ten firearms, five of which remain missing. Investigations led law enforcement to discover Machiavelli's involvement after some firearms were recovered from a co-defendant's residence who claimed Machiavelli had brought them there. Another co-defendant confirmed that he and Machiavelli committed the burglary.
The case was prosecuted by the U.S. Attorney’s Office with investigations conducted by the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives alongside the Billings Police Department.
This case is part of Project Safe Neighborhoods (PSN), an initiative aimed at reducing violent crime and gun violence through collaboration between law enforcement agencies and communities. The program emphasizes fostering trust within communities, supporting violence prevention organizations, setting strategic enforcement priorities, and measuring outcomes.
For more information about Project Safe Neighborhoods, visit Justice.gov/PSN.
