A man from St. Charles, Missouri, was sentenced to 100 months in federal prison for stealing about 100 firearms from a storage facility operated by a licensed gun dealer in St. Louis County. U.S. District Judge Rodney W. Sippel handed down the sentence on Thursday.
Jeremy Lorenz, 31, pleaded guilty in October to being a felon in possession of a firearm. Authorities say Lorenz broke into the facility on November 15, 2024, and took around 100 guns. He was arrested four days later while carrying a pistol and shotgun that had been reported stolen.
The day after his arrest, investigators found him with another stolen pistol. Police recovered six more stolen firearms from the car he was driving and found an additional 13 at his girlfriend’s home. During questioning, Lorenz admitted he was not allowed to have firearms due to previous felony convictions and acknowledged stealing the guns. He also told agents that he sold some of them. So far, law enforcement has recovered about 75 of the stolen weapons.
“Stealing 100 firearms is a brazen act that puts communities at immediate risk,” said Bernard “Butch” Hansen, Special Agent in Charge of the ATF Kansas City Field Division. “We recovered most of the stolen firearms, but every weapon taken in this theft had the potential to fuel violent crime. Stolen guns routinely end up in the hands of people who are prohibited from possessing them. We are grateful for the successful prosecution by the U.S. Attorney’s Office and the partnership from St. Louis County Police Department and the Missouri State Highway Patrol that ensured justice was served. This case demonstrates that those who traffic in stolen guns will be held accountable.”
The Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives led the investigation along with assistance from local law enforcement agencies including the St. Louis County Police Department and Missouri State Highway Patrol. Assistant U.S. Attorney Nichole Frankenberg prosecuted the case.
