Kalamazoo Man Sentenced to 8 Years for Stolen Firearms

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GRAND RAPIDS, MICHIGAN — Twenty-seven-year-old Keondre McNeely, of Kalamazoo, Michigan, was sentenced to 96 months in prison for possessing a stolen firearm, Acting U.S. Attorney Andrew Birge announced today. Along with codefendants Jorel Gefferard and Roscoe Manns, Keondre McNeely played a central role in transporting and trafficking 21 firearms that were stolen in November 2015 from Outpost Guns, a federally licensed firearms dealer (FFL) in Sturgis, Michigan. Of those 21 firearms, thirteen were assault rifles with large-capacity magazines.

In announcing the sentence, the Honorable Robert J. Jonker, Chief Judge of the U.S. District Court for the Western District of Michigan, noted that the defendant was a “key conduit” for putting the stolen firearms into circulation. Although the defendant had a limited criminal history, with no prior felony convictions, the Court emphasized the seriousness of the defendant’s conduct; by his involvement in moving and trafficking the stolen firearms, the defendant put a lot of people “in harm’s way.”

In total, six people have been sentenced for their role in the theft, trafficking, or possession of firearms stolen from Outpost Guns:

Kenneth Williams, of Kalamazoo, was sentenced to 96 months in prison, following his conviction for possessing one of the Outpost Guns firearms as a previously convicted felon;

Jorel Gefferard, of Sturgis, was sentenced to 84 months in prison, following his conviction for stealing the firearms from Outpost Guns;

Ronald Dafney, of Kalamazoo, was sentenced to 72 months in prison, following his conviction for possessing one of the Outpost Guns firearms as a previously convicted felon;

Kevonte McNeely, of Kalamazoo, was sentenced to 60 months in prison, following his conviction for possessing one of the Outpost Guns firearms as a previously convicted felon;

Roscoe Manns, of Sturgis, was sentenced to 54 months in prison, following his conviction for his possession of firearms stolen from Outpost Guns.

Acting U.S. Attorney Birge commented that: “The U.S. Attorney’s Office is committed to investigating and prosecuting every link in the chain that leads to stolen guns on our streets—from those who steal from gun stores in the first place, to those who help conceal and move stolen firearms, to the sellers of stolen guns, and to the buyers.” Stolen firearms are, by nature, crime guns, and they typically end up in the hands of people with criminal records, who are themselves prohibited from buying guns. “Keondre McNeely and his codefendants put 21 stolen guns on the street and there is no telling when one or more of those firearms might be used in a violent way. If you steal guns from an FFL, if you sell stolen guns, or if you buy or possess a stolen gun, this Office is going to do what it can to ensure a lengthy prison term that reflects the seriousness and dangerousness of these crimes.”

“Stolen guns are being used in violent crimes that destroy not only families, but the fabric of our communities,” said interim Special Agent in Charge Thomas Chittum. “ATF will use the full scope of our resources to find those responsible for the theft and trafficking of illegal firearms so they can be prosecuted to the fullest extent of the law.”

The Sturgis Police Department, the Kalamazoo Department of Public Safety, and the ATF investigated the case. Assistant U.S. Attorney Kate Zell prosecuted the case.