U.S. Attorney for the Northern District of Texas, Chad E. Meacham, recently announced the sentencing of two thieves who stole from a firearm seller in Arlington over a year ago.
20-year-old Cuedell Javon Henry and 25-year-old Tyrique Raashad Wesley were criminally charged in July 2021 because of a pistol theft in a parking lot in Arlington. They both pleaded guilty to the crime.
The court of law documented that in the summer of 2021, Henry and Wesley reached out to a man who put two 9mm pistols for sale on a firearm trading website called texasguntrader.com. They claimed they wanted to buy the guns and asked to meet the seller at an agreed parking lot in Arlington.
At the meeting point, the thieves asked if they could check out the firearms. The man emptied the chamber of the guns and handed them over.
According to court documents, Henry loaded one of the pistols and pointed it at the dealer. On the other hand, Wesley, an ex-convict who is not legally permitted to possess firearms, tucked the other handgun into his waistband. The two men fled the scene with the guns in a 2013 Dodge Charger. The victim went in pursuit and took down the car’s license plate. He then reported the case to the authorities.
Law enforcement officials identified Henry based on the victim’s descriptions of his tattoos. Pictures on his Instagram page showed him flashing several firearms, including a pistol similar to the stolen one.
Acting on their intel, officials spotted the Dodge car at a row house in the city, where Henry and his co-defendant, Wesley, were seen driving away after loading a black bag into the car.
Patrol officers attempted to conduct a traffic stop, but Wesley, who was behind the wheel, managed to evade them. Later, they found the car abandoned with the front doors flung open.
The thieves did not remain fugitives for long. Eventually, the police located and arrested Wesley, who tried to flee on foot, and Henry.
Investigators found one stolen gun inside the Dodge Charger and the other inside the row house.
Both men admitted to possessing the weapons, says court plea papers.
Wesley was sentenced in May 2022 to 105 months in federal prison, while Henry was sentenced on September 21 to 120 months in federal prison. He will be running a consecutive 180-month sentence handed down by the state.
“Stolen firearms are generally taken by offenders for further criminal use and pose a significant threat to our communities,” said the ATF’s Acting Special Agent in Charge, James VanVliet. He added that his organization will continue to partner with Arlington Police Department and other law enforcement organizations to “investigate and disrupt these crimes.”
Meacham also condemned the crime as he advises hobbyists to be cautious when trying to “sell off a few guns.” He emphasized that miscreants, especially those legally barred from possessing and using firearms, will go to any length, including violence, to lay their hands on guns.
The investigation was conducted by the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms, & Explosives’ Dallas Field Division with the support of the Arlington Police Department’s Gun Crime Unit. Assistant U.S. Attorneys Doug Allen and Alex Lewis served as prosecutors on the case.