Thursday, August 27, 2009
3 plead guilty in Christiansburg gun theft case
Three of the four men implicated in the theft and sale of firearms from a Christiansburg pawn shop pleaded guilty to federal charges Thursday.
Brian Daniel Mann, 20, pleaded guilty in U.S. District Court in Roanoke to stealing a firearm, telling Conrad he and others broke into Danny’s Pawn Shop on Roanoke Street.
Andrew Craft Robertson, 19, also pleaded guilty to stealing a firearm.
“I was begging them not to and everything,” Robertson said in court. “And I got the door shut in my face. I stayed in the car.”
Nonetheless, Robertson continued, when his companions emerged from Danny’s Pawn Shop carrying guns, he drove them to his father’s house in Floyd to make plans. His father was not home, Robertson said, and they stayed the night there before returning home.
Brandon Wayne Bishop, 19, who bought one of the guns taken from Danny’s, pleaded guilty to possessing a gun after being convicted of a felony. Bishop told Judge Glen Conrad he was ready to take whatever sentence was given him “and go back and learn from it.”
“I bought a stolen firearm and I shouldn’t have done that,” Bishop said.
Bishop, Mann and Robertson are all from Christiansburg, as is a fourth defendant, Michael Blake Kaylor, who was 18 when he first appeared in court in June.
Kaylor has maintained his innocence and is scheduled to stand trial, although a date has not been set.
Assistant U.S. Attorney Ashley Neese said that on May 2, Robertson, Mann and Kaylor first considered breaking into a Radford pawn shop, then settled on Miller’s gun shop in Christiansburg. When they decided they could not get into Miller’s, they went to Danny’s. While Robertson waited in the car, Kaylor and Mann went around back, Neese said.
Kaylor pried the back door off its hinges, and he and Mann entered the store, broke open a case and took 11 guns, Neese said.The next day, Kaylor filed serial numbers off some of the guns in the bathroom of his home while Mann, Robertson and a juvenile watched, she said.
They contacted Bishop, who said he was interested in buying a gun, and Robertson drove Kaylor and the juvenile and some of the weapons to his home. Bishop bought a 9mm pistol, Neese said.
Police have so far recovered five of the stolen guns, Neese said.
In their plea hearings, Bishop, Mann and Robertson said Neese’s account of the facts of the case was correct. They are scheduled to be sentenced Nov. 4.
Robertson’s attorney, Brad Braford, noted that when U.S. Magistrate Judge Michael Urbanski set Robertson’s bond, he told him to re-enroll in classes at Christiansburg High School. Robertson has done so, Braford said, and is on track to earn his diploma by January.
Conrad said it was likely Robertson would be required to serve time in prison, but he would order that he not have to report until after the end of classes in January.
Brian Daniel Mann, 20, pleaded guilty in U.S. District Court in Roanoke to stealing a firearm, telling Conrad he and others broke into Danny’s Pawn Shop on Roanoke Street.
Andrew Craft Robertson, 19, also pleaded guilty to stealing a firearm.
“I was begging them not to and everything,” Robertson said in court. “And I got the door shut in my face. I stayed in the car.”
Nonetheless, Robertson continued, when his companions emerged from Danny’s Pawn Shop carrying guns, he drove them to his father’s house in Floyd to make plans. His father was not home, Robertson said, and they stayed the night there before returning home.
Brandon Wayne Bishop, 19, who bought one of the guns taken from Danny’s, pleaded guilty to possessing a gun after being convicted of a felony. Bishop told Judge Glen Conrad he was ready to take whatever sentence was given him “and go back and learn from it.”
“I bought a stolen firearm and I shouldn’t have done that,” Bishop said.
Bishop, Mann and Robertson are all from Christiansburg, as is a fourth defendant, Michael Blake Kaylor, who was 18 when he first appeared in court in June.
Kaylor has maintained his innocence and is scheduled to stand trial, although a date has not been set.
Assistant U.S. Attorney Ashley Neese said that on May 2, Robertson, Mann and Kaylor first considered breaking into a Radford pawn shop, then settled on Miller’s gun shop in Christiansburg. When they decided they could not get into Miller’s, they went to Danny’s. While Robertson waited in the car, Kaylor and Mann went around back, Neese said.
Kaylor pried the back door off its hinges, and he and Mann entered the store, broke open a case and took 11 guns, Neese said.The next day, Kaylor filed serial numbers off some of the guns in the bathroom of his home while Mann, Robertson and a juvenile watched, she said.
They contacted Bishop, who said he was interested in buying a gun, and Robertson drove Kaylor and the juvenile and some of the weapons to his home. Bishop bought a 9mm pistol, Neese said.
Police have so far recovered five of the stolen guns, Neese said.
In their plea hearings, Bishop, Mann and Robertson said Neese’s account of the facts of the case was correct. They are scheduled to be sentenced Nov. 4.
Robertson’s attorney, Brad Braford, noted that when U.S. Magistrate Judge Michael Urbanski set Robertson’s bond, he told him to re-enroll in classes at Christiansburg High School. Robertson has done so, Braford said, and is on track to earn his diploma by January.
Conrad said it was likely Robertson would be required to serve time in prison, but he would order that he not have to report until after the end of classes in January.
