Officials are offering a $5,000 reward for information leading to the arrest and conviction of three men caught on camera smashing their way into a Forsyth County pawn shop.
The crime isn’t new or particularly well thought out, but these smash-and-grab thefts helped Georgia in leading the nation in stolen guns, Channel 2 Action News reported.
In the video surveillance taken Aug. 11 at Forsyth County Pawn in Cumming, the men shatter the glass front door and walk right into the shop to steal 66 guns.
More than 1,000 guns were stolen in Georgia last year and that number is likely to climb, Nero Priester, spokesman in the Atlanta office of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives, said.
“It's not hard to sell a gun, and, unfortunately, there's high demand,” Priester told Channel 2.
Agent Wayne Dixie said common gun store thefts are being taken seriously because the guns have the “strong potential of being sold to or used by other criminals.” He said firearms trafficking is a serious offense that results in significant federal prison time.
The trade association for the firearms industry, National Shooting Sports Foundation, is matching the ATF’s $2,500 reward offer.
Anyone with information about this crime should contact the ATF gun hotline at 1-800-ATF-GUNS (283-4867). Callers may remain anonymous, and anonymous reporting can be done via the ATF app Reportit.
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