wow, this got worse...
http://www.couriernews.com/story.asp?ID=9246
Police uniforms, assault weapon stolen from gun store
July burglary of gun store ‘not a simple break-in’
By Brooke Vermillion
government@couriernews.com
The burglary of a gun store that two Arkansas Tech football players were charged with earlier this week could have been more than a simple break-in, according to the store owner.
In addition to the 18 guns initially reported stolen from Arkansas Guns and Ammo, located at 410 Union St. in Dardanelle, The Courier has learned that several police uniforms, sew-on law enforcement patches, gun holsters, caps, etc., were also taken the night of the burglary.
According to a Dardanelle Police report, officers responded to an alarm at the gun shop on July 23 and saw several broken display cases once inside the business. The police chief and business owner were then notified, and officers discovered 18 pistols and one rifle, all valued at $9,015, had been taken, according to the initial report.
Store owner Terry Byrd of Dardanelle said Thursday, however, when the first Dardanelle Police report was taken the morning after the July incident, he could not account for all missing items. The store had to be closed down for four days to run a full inventory at the store. After the process was complete, Byrd said his opinion of the incident changed.
“To me, it wasn't a simple break-in,” Byrd said. “I think they had other things in mind.”
The police uniforms were described as black shirts and cargo-type pants commonly used as police battle dress uniforms (BDUs). Byrd said the patches are normally sold separately for the officer to sew or iron on the uniforms. He also said that several T-shirts with the word “Sheriff” printed on the front and back were stolen. He said because of the rare brand, he is the only business in the area that carries that type of shirt.
“They have everything they need to be identified as a cop,” Byrd said of whomever has the stolen merchandise in his or her possession.
When asked Thursday if citizens should be concerned about the missing police uniforms, Dardanelle Police Chief Montie Sims said there was no way to be sure.
“I don’t know their motive for taking the uniforms,” Sims said. “We’ve worked cases dealing with people who stole something just to hang it on their wall... But I can only hope that these items were not taken to disguise someone as a police officer or law enforcement official so that person could commit another crime. And right now, there’s no evidence or lead to substantiate that theory.”
Sims added that the missing police uniform items, along with thousands of rounds of ammunition, gun powder, knives, and many other miscellaneous items were added to the initial report a few days after the incident occurred.
Suspects charged
Cedric Cursh, 22, of Foreman and Jason Butler, 19, of Prescott, both members of the ATU football team at the time of the incident, pleaded innocent Tuesday in Yell County Circuit Court to charges of commercial burglary, theft of property and criminal mischief. A pre-trial hearing was set for the Tech athletes on Nov. 15 under Circuit Judge Paul Dennison.
The two men were pulled over July 24, the day after the burglary, on Interstate 40 in Conway County for an unrelated incident. However, when the Arkansas State Police trooper was given consent to search the vehicle, he found the two pistols that were ultimately found to be stolen.
Those two pistols of the 18 stolen weapons were the only items found in the vehicle the athletes were pulled over in. The location of anything else the men allegedly took is unknown.
Both Cursh and Butler were living on the Tech campus at the time of the arrest. They each posted a $50,000 commercial bond.
Cursh was dismissed from the football team last week, according to a university release.
Business holds
federal license
Byrd added because his business is federally licensed, he has a warning sign posted that reads theft from such a business is a federal crime investigated by the ATF and punishable by 10 years in jail and a $250,000 fine.
“They stole from a federally licensed gun dealer,” Sims said. “And two of the weapons stolen were assault rifles, which falls under federal law. We have talked to ATF (Alcohol, Tobacco and Firearms) about this, and they are looking into it.”
However, Tom Tatum II of Danville, the 15th Judicial District prosecutor, said federal charges are not likely unless the crime crosses state lines. Tatum added that, although it brings cause to wonder why the uniforms were stolen, no additional charges can be filed because of the alleged stolen uniforms.
Sims said the investigation will stay open until the defendants go to trail and all weapons are recovered.
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