Four Men Charged in Conspiracy To Steal and Illegally Traffic Over Two Hundred Firearms From an Indianapolis Shipping Company
Indianapolis- Bruce A. Williams II, 31, Zackary Dean Doss, 26, and Kevin Todd Jones, Jr. 21, have been charged in a federal indictment with Conspiracy to Receive, Possess, Store, or Sell Stolen Firearms. Williams and Doss have also been charged with Possession of Firearms by a Felon, and Jones has been charged with Possession or Sale of a Stolen Firearm. A fourth man, Ryan Hurt, 28, also of Indianapolis, has been charged in a related criminal complaint with Possession of Stolen Firearms.
As of today, Williams, Doss, and Hurt have been arrested. On April 20, 2023, each of them made their initial appearance in federal court. Williams and Doss have been detained by the U.S. Marshal Service as they await a detention hearing at a later date. Hurt has been released on GPS monitoring.
Kevin Jones, Jr. is still at large. If you have any information regarding the whereabouts of Kevin Jones, Jr., please contact Crime Stoppers at 317-262-TIPS (8477).
According to court documents and information presented in open court, beginning on or before March 2, 2022, Williams, Doss, Jones, and others conspired together to steal over 200 firearms from the Indianapolis terminal of an interstate shipping company. Williams and other participants in the conspiracy were employees of the shipping company. These insiders identified shipments of firearms at the terminal, stole firearms from the shipments, and arranged to sell the stolen firearms. Members of the conspiracy also kept some of the stolen firearms for their own personal use.
Doss and Jones purchased stolen firearms from other members of the conspiracy. Doss and Jones sold some of the stolen firearms to other individuals. Doss and Jones are prohibited from possessing firearms under federal law because they are previously convicted felons.
On April 19, 2023, as part of this investigation, law enforcement officers with the ATF and IMPD executed a search warrant at Hurts’ residence and seized two stolen firearms. Hurts was arrested and charged by criminal complaint with possession of stolen firearms.
To date, law enforcement officers have recovered approximately 33 stolen firearms as a part of this ongoing investigation. If you have any information regarding the theft, sale, or location of any of the stolen firearms, please contact Crime Stoppers. If you believe you are in possession of or have purchased one or more of the stolen firearms and were not aware they were stolen, please reach out to Crime Stoppers at 317-262-TIPS (8477).
If convicted of the conspiracy charge, each of the defendants face up to 5 years in federal prison. Each of the defendants also faces up to 10 years in federal prison if convicted of being a felon in possession of a firearm or possession of stolen firearms. A federal district court judge will determine any actual sentence after considering the U.S. Sentencing Guidelines and other statutory factors.
Zachary A. Myers, U.S. Attorney for the Southern District of Indiana, Randal Taylor, Chief of Indianapolis Metropolitan Police Department, and Daryl S. McCormick, Special Agent in Charge of the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives (ATF), Columbus Field Division made the announcement.
“Thefts of firearms from interstate shipping are a significant source of the guns that drive the bloodshed in our streets,” said U.S. Attorney Myers. “This investigation and prosecution demonstrate that our office is determined to work with ATF and IMPD to get illegal guns out of the hands of dangerous criminals and to hold gun traffickers accountable. We urge the public to join us in this effort, and to contact the ATF and IMPD with any information relevant to this ongoing investigation.”
U.S. Attorney Myers thanked Assistant United States Attorneys Pamela S. Domash and Brad P. Shepard, who are prosecuting this case.
This case was brought as part of the Indiana Crime Guns Task Force (ICGTF). ICGTF is a partnership of law enforcement officers and analysts from several central Indiana law enforcement agencies in Boone, Hamilton, Hancock, Hendricks, Marion, Morgan, Johnson, and Shelby counties. In cooperation with state, local, and federal partners, ICGTF collaborates to address violent crime through a comprehensive strategy including innovative approaches to locating suspects and evidence related to violent crimes and illegal possession of firearms.
An indictment or criminal complaint are merely allegations, and all defendants are presumed innocent until proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt in a court of law.
