ATF Offers $5K Reward for Information on Retail Gun Theft

/PRNewswire-USNewswire/ -- Special Agent in Charge Gregory K. Gant of the Atlanta Field Division, Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives (ATF) today (May 5) announced ATF is offering a reward of up to $5,000 for information leading to the arrest and conviction of the persons responsible for the theft of firearms that occurred at Brother's Pawn Shop, 218 Alabama Ave., a federal firearms licensee in Bremen, GA. The burglary occurred on April 18.

"Firearms theft from licensed gun dealers is one of the top priorities for ATF. Experience shows us that these guns will likely end up being used in a crime. These guns in the hands of criminals endanger everyone's safety," said Gant. "With this reward, it is ATF's hope that someone will come forward with information that will lead to the arrest of the suspects responsible."

During the early morning hours of April 18, two individuals broke into the Brother's Pawn Shop by breaking out a wooden garage door panel on the side of the building. According to the surveillance video, the two individuals first attempted to break in through the front door, but were unsuccessful. After entering the shop, the surveillance video shows a heavy set male with a shaved head wearing camouflaged pants and a shirt with a horizontal stripe across the back.

ATF and the Bremen Police Department are seeking the public's assistance in identifying those responsible. Anyone with information is encouraged to call ATF at (404) 201-1127 or utilize the ATF Hotline at 1-800-ATF-GUNS (800-283-4867). Callers can remain anonymous.

More information about ATF and its programs is available at www.atf.gov.

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ATF Offers $10k Reward for Information on Retail Gun Theft

/PRNewswire/ -- A reward of up to $10,000 for information leading to the arrest and convictions of those responsible for a recent firearms armed robbery at Welsh Pawn Shop, a federally licensed gun dealer in Savannah, Ga. was announced today by Gregory K. Gant, Special Agent in Charge of the Atlanta Field Division, Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives (ATF). Savannah/Chatham County Crime Stoppers has pledged a reward of up to $2,500 for the arrest of those responsible for the robbery. The owners of Welsh Pawn have also announced an additional reward of $5,000 for information leading to the arrest of the perpetrators. This crime has triggered a joint investigation between ATF and the Savannah-Chatham Metro Police Department.

"The people of Savannah deserve a safe community. Unfortunately, there are a few violent individuals whose illegal activities threaten to diminish our quality of life. Gun thieves play a critical and deadly role in the chain of violence. ATF will continue to partner with state and local law enforcement agencies to solve this crime," Gant said.

The armed robbery occurred around 10 a.m., Friday, at the business located at 2800 Skidaway Rd., Savannah, Ga. The suspects walked into the business, asked workers to view a few items, then started shooting. Two clerks were shot and received non life-threatening injuries. The robbers smashed glass cases and removed several items to include six firearms. The clerks could only identify the robbers as two black males, wearing dark clothing and baseball caps.

Investigators are seeking the public's help with identifying the subjects involved and providing information on the location of any or all of the stolen firearms. Anyone with information is encouraged to call ATF's toll-free, 24-hour hotline at 1-888-ATF-TIPS (1-888-283-8477) or Savannah/Chatham County Crime Stoppers at (912) 234-2020. Callers can remain anonymous.

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ATF Launches Text-Based Crime Tip Submission System

/PRNewswire- -- The Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives (ATF) Office of Strategic Intelligence and Information, today announced the launch of a text messaging crime tip submission system. During the course of this six-month pilot program, crime tips can be submitted anonymously by text message to ATF's Joint Support and Operations Center for review and processing.

The general public will benefit from the easy to use, anonymous system that will allow them to readily relay information from any cell phone. ATF will benefit from an increased flow of real-time intelligence, which will enhance its investigative capabilities and help keep communities safer.

To submit a crime tip, one can begin by texting a message with "ATF" in the body of the message to the number "274637" (CRIMES).

The initial submission will trigger an auto response from the secure transaction server. The text sender will receive a response, including a unique code number, which must be remembered for encryption and identification purposes. The sender and ATF coordinator may then elect to engage in a secure and encrypted two-way dialog with no additional keywords being required.

The sender can also text "STOP" to the number "274637" (CRIMES) at anytime to pause the system. This is helpful in situations where you cannot be replied to by ATF. If you send "STOP" to the short code number, messages from that point will not get a reply, but are received by ATF. Any new text messages would require repeating these steps from the beginning, utilizing a new code number generated by the system.

For additional information on ATF's SMS text messaging capability, please visit http://www.atf.gov/contact/sms/. For additional information concerning submission of crime tips to ATF, please refer to http://www.atf.gov/contact/hotlines/.

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ATF Offers $5K Reward for Information on Retail Gun Theft

/PRNewswire/ -- The Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives (ATF), Atlanta Field Division, today announced a reward of up to $5,000 for information leading to the arrest and convictions of those responsible for a recent firearms theft at Kemp's Pharmacy, a federal firearm licensee in Claxton, Ga. The incident has triggered a multi-jurisdictional investigation, being conducted by ATF, the Georgia Bureau of Investigation, the Evans County Sheriff's Office and the Claxton Police Department.

"Gun thieves play a critical and deadly role in the chain of violence, and ATF places a major emphasis on solving these crimes," said Special Agent in Charge Gregory Gant. "Investigative experience has shown that felons, gang members and juveniles are some of the most common customers for stolen guns in the underground economy of our streets. When guns fall into the wrong hands, the potential for violence increases. Solving this crime will be a team effort, among law enforcement and concerned members of the public."

The early morning burglary occurred on Saturday, June 12 at the business, located at 107 S. Duval St., Claxton, Ga. At approximately 12:50 a.m., the store's security system alerted owners and law enforcement to the burglary. The thieves made entry by smashing the front glass door of the business with a large, metal 55-gallon barrel. Once inside, they smashed two glass display cases and were able to steal a total of 26 handguns and an AK-47 style rifle. Security cameras from an adjacent business filmed two black male subjects fleeing on foot from Kemp's Pharmacy at the time of the theft.

Investigators are seeking the public's help with identifying the subjects involved and providing information on the location of any or all of the stolen firearms. Anyone with information is encouraged to call ATF's toll-free, 24-hour hotline at 1-888-ATF-TIPS (1-888-283-8477). Callers can remain anonymous.

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Reward Offered for Information on Retail Gun Theft

/PRNewswire/ -- The Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives (ATF), Atlanta Field Division today (May 6) announced a reward of up to $5,000 for information leading to the arrest and/or conviction of those responsible for a recent firearms theft at Pannell's Firearms, located at 10102 Main Street in Woodstock, Ga. The case is being jointly investigated by ATF special agents and Cherokee Sheriff's Office (CSO) investigators.

The early morning burglary occurred at Pannell's Firearms and Range, a federal firearms licensee (FFL), on Tuesday, April 27. Store security video shows two subjects approaching the business at 3:15 a.m. Once inside, they are seen smashing glass countertops and placing firearms into bags before fleeing the area. In approximately one minute, the suspects were able to steal a total of 24 firearms.

"Investigating firearms thefts from federally licensed gun dealers is a top priority for ATF," said Special Agent in Charge Gregory Gant. "We all have a vested interest in arresting those responsible and recovering these stolen guns. Solving this crime will be a team effort among ATF, the Cherokee Sheriff's Office and concerned members of the public."

Sheriff Roger Garrison said, "We are pleased that ATF has offered a reward to assist in this investigation. I strongly encourage anyone with any information related to this incident or the suspects involved to come forward."

Investigators are seeking the public's help with identifying the suspects and providing information on the location of any of the stolen firearms. Anyone with information is encouraged to call ATF's toll-free, 24-hour hotline at 1-888-ATF-TIPS (1-888-283-8477) or the Cherokee Sheriff's Office Criminal Investigations Division at 770-928-0239. Callers can remain anonymous.

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Fort Benning Arsonist Sentenced

/PRNewswire/ -- Officials from the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives (ATF), United States Army Criminal Investigation Command (CID) and Fort Benning announced today the sentencing of a former Army civilian employee responsible for burning down the Fort Benning Staff Judge Advocate (SJA) building on Feb. 6, 2009. The Honorable Clay Land, U.S. District Judge for the Middle District of Georgia sentenced Shawana Topekia Pierce, 31, of Columbus, to 84 months (7 years) in federal prison, plus 3 years of supervised release and ordered her to pay $7.5 million in restitution. There is no parole in the federal system.

"This was an attack on an institution of justice, having a significant community impact," said Special Agent in Charge Gregory Gant of ATF's Atlanta Field Division. "ATF, Army CID, and military police investigators brought to bear every available asset in our collective effort to investigate the fire and solve this crime. This investigation is a textbook example of agencies working together to solve a complex case in very short order."

"Today's sentencing should send a clear message to everyone affiliated with the U.S. Army, in or out or uniform, that if you perpetrate a crime against our Army or its people, or destroy government property, we will track you down and do everything in our power to bring you to justice," said Brigadier General Rodney Johnson, the Commanding General of Army CID. "We were fortunate to have such a tremendous working relationship with the ATF throughout this investigation and we were even more fortunate that none of our first responders or Soldiers were killed during this senseless act."

At the request of the U.S. Army's Criminal Investigation Command, ATF deployed its National Response Team (NRT) and special agents from ATF's Atlanta Field Division joined the investigation to work alongside CID agents and Military Police personnel. By Feb. 11, the team of investigators had officially determined the cause of the fire to be incendiary ("arson"), had secured a federal warrant for Pierce's arrest and took her into custody on the same day. Later that month, a federal grand jury formally charged Pierce for the federal crime of arson for her role in causing the destruction of the Ft. Benning SJA office building.

According to information presented in court and U.S. Attorney's Office officials who prosecuted the case, Pierce pleaded guilty to the charge on July 15, 2009 and admitted to burning down the facility. On February 6, Pierce traveled to Fort Benning and went to the SJA building, where she broke a window, entered the building and poured gasoline in different places. She also placed piles of paper on some desks. Pierce then placed two propane gas bottles inside the building and used a butane lighter to ignite the gasoline-soaked parts of the building, then departed.

The Fort Benning Fire Department, assisted by the Columbus Fire Department, responded to and suppressed the fire. The SJA building was completely destroyed. Two first responders, a fire fighter and a police officer, suffered smoke injuries during the fire and were treated at a hospital.

"The Fort Benning community really came together to reestablish legal services, immediately following the fire, which is a tremendous testimony to the team here," said Col. Tracy Barnes, Staff Judge Advocate. "But we still feel the effects today, since we are now operating out of four locations across post. Fort Benning also suffered an historical loss, since the SJA building was the second oldest building on Fort Benning."

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ATF Doubles Reward for Information on Fort Benning J.A.G. Office Building Fire

/PRNewswire-USNewswire/ -- The Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives (ATF) today announced that they are offering an additional $5,000 for information that would assist investigators in determining the cause of the fire that occurred on Feb. 6, at the Ft. Benning Judge Advocate General (J.A.G.) Office building.

ATF is matching the $5,000 reward offered earlier by the U.S. Army Criminal Investigation Command (CID) for information on the fire.

Anyone with information regarding the incident should contact CID at 706-545-8915 or e-mail CID at crimetips@conus.army.mil, or ATF's 24-hour, toll-free hotline at 1-888-ATF-FIRE (1-888-283-3473).

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ATF National Response Team Activated to Army J.A.G. Office Building Fire

/PRNewswire-USNewswire/ -- At the request of the United States Army, Criminal Investigation Command, the National Response Team (NRT) from the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives (ATF), along with ATF special agents from the Atlanta Field Division, have entered into the investigation of a fire that occurred on the Fort Benning U.S. Army post. The fire occurred on Feb. 6, 2009, at the Judge Advocate General (J.A.G.) Office building. The J.A.G. office was approximately 10,000 square feet and was totally destroyed by the fire. The investigation is continuing.

The NRT arrived in town and began work at the scene today alongside military investigators in reconstructing the scene, identifying the origin of the fire, conducting interviews, and sifting through debris.

In 1978, ATF developed the NRT to provide resources to federal, state and local investigators in meeting the challenges faced at the scenes of significant fire and explosives incidents. The NRT consists of four teams organized geographically to cover the United States. Each team can respond within 24 hours to assist state and local law enforcement/fire service personnel in onsite investigations.

In addition to investigating hundreds of large fire scenes, the NRT has also been activated to scenes such as the 1993 World Trade Center bombing, the Oklahoma City federal building bombing and the 9/11 Pentagon crash site, as well as explosions at explosives and ammunition manufacturing plants, legal fireworks factories and illegal explosive device manufacturing operations.

The teams are each composed of veteran special agents who have post blast and fire origin-and-cause expertise; forensic chemists; explosives enforcement officers; fire protection engineers; accelerant detection canines; explosives detection canines; intelligence support, computer forensic support and audit support.

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ATF Offers Reward for Information on Retail Gun Theft

PRNewswire-USNewswire/ -- The Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives (ATF), Atlanta Field Division, and Jasper, Ga., Police Department today announced a reward of up to $5,000 for information leading to the arrest and/or conviction of those responsible for a recent firearms theft at the Bargain Barn, located at 3622 Camp Road in Jasper, Ga.

The early morning burglary occurred at the Bargain Barn, a sporting goods store and federal firearms licensee (FFL), on Saturday, Nov. 8. Video surveillance footage shows three masked suspects running through the store smashing display cases and stuffing the firearms into bags before exiting the premises. In less than two minutes, the suspects were able to steal a total of 40 firearms to include 36 semi-automatic pistols and six rifles.

"Theft of firearms from licensed gun dealers is a top priority for ATF," said Assistant Special Agent in Charge Jeff Pearce. "We all have a vested interest in arresting those responsible and recovering the stolen guns. Solving this crime will be a team effort among ATF, the Jasper Police Department and concerned members of the public."

"It's clear that a burglary of a gun dealer is unlike any other commercial theft," said Jasper Police Chief Harold Cantrell. "We need to prevent these stolen firearms from falling into the hands of felons, gang members and juveniles before violent crime and tragedy results."

Investigators are seeking the public's help with identifying the suspects or providing information on the location of the stolen firearms.

Anyone with information in helping to solve this crime is encouraged to call ATF's toll-free, 24-hour hotline at 1-888-ATF-TIPS (1-888-283-8477) or the Jasper Police Department by contacting Detective Gleason at (404) 317-2532. Callers can remain anonymous.

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ATF National Response Team Activated to Georgia Mill Fire

PRNewswire-USNewswire/ -- The National Response Team (NRT) from the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives (ATF) along with ATF special agents from the Columbus Satellite Office and the Macon Field Office, of the Atlanta Field Division, have entered into the investigation of a large commercial fire at the request of the Columbus Department of Fire and Emergency Medical Services. The fire occurred Thursday, Oct. 30, at the Bibb Mill located at 3715 First Ave., downtown Columbus. The NRT arrived today and will begin its work at the scene.

The 750,000 square foot structure was built around 1920 and holds significant historical value to the community. The approximate loss is estimated at $2 million. The Mill housed several businesses and a portion of the property was to be converted to a condominium community. There are no reported injuries at this time and the investigation is continuing.

In 1978, ATF developed the NRT to provide resources to federal, state and local investigators in meeting the challenges faced at the scenes of significant arson and explosives incidents. The NRT consists of four teams organized geographically to cover the United States. Each team can respond within 24 hours to assist state and local law enforcement/fire service personnel in onsite investigations.

In addition to investigating hundreds of large fire scenes, the NRT has also been activated to scenes such as the 1993 World Trade Center bombing, the Oklahoma City Federal Building bombing and the 9/11 Pentagon crash site, as well as explosions at explosives and ammunition manufacturing plants, legal fireworks factories and illegal explosive device manufacturing operations.

The teams are each composed of veteran special agents who have post blast and fire origin-and-cause expertise; forensic chemists; explosives enforcement officers; fire protection engineers; accelerant detection canines; explosives detection canines; intelligence support, computer forensic support and audit support. The teams work alongside state and local officers in reconstructing the scene, identifying the seat of the blast or origin of the fire, conducting interviews, and sifting through debris to obtain evidence related to the bombing/arson.

Further complementing the team's efforts are technical, legal and intelligence advisors. Moreover, a fleet of fully equipped response vehicles strategically located throughout the United States is available to provide logistical support.

This will be the NRT's second activation in fiscal year 2009 and the 660th activation since the inception of the NRT in 1978.

ATF is the federal agency with jurisdiction for investigating fires and crimes of arson. More information on ATF can be found at www.atf.gov.

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