GRAND RAPIDS, Mich. (WOOD) - A Muskegon man has been sentenced to 7.5 years in federal prison for breaking into an Ottawa County business and stealing several firearms.
Casey Johnson was sentenced Monday in federal court for the Western District of Michigan in Grand Rapids. Earlier this year, he pleaded guilty to three counts of theft of a firearm and three counts of possession of a firearm.
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According to the U.S. Attorney's Office, Johnson entered several businesses and stole firearms, including three incidents at Michigan Pawn Brokers in Grand Haven. When detectives executed a search warrant at the motel room where the 29-year-old man was staying, they found two of the 11 guns stolen from the store.
U.S. Attorney Mark Totten said in a statement that he hopes the penalties will help keep illegal guns off Michigan's streets and "protect our communities from gun violence."
James Dare, chief agent for the Detroit Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives, said the sentence should serve as a reminder to people contemplating similar crimes.
"Ultimately, the moral of this case is simple: crime does not pay," Deir said in a statement. "Casey Johnson, a former convicted felon, decided to steal a gun from a federally licensed gun dealer because it was easier than a background check. While serving his sentence in federal prison, Casey will have plenty of free time to reflect on his bad decisions.
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Several local law enforcement agencies assisted in the investigation, including the Grand Haven Department of Public Safety, the Muskegon Police Department, the Muskegon Police Department and the Michigan State Police.
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