Four people charged in series of break-ins at gun stores in Maryland

Three teenagers and one adult have been charged in a series of burglaries and attempted burglaries at gun stores in Baltimore, Anne Arundel and Prince George’s counties between December and March.

Maryland Attorney General Anthony Brown said Tuesday that the group stole at least 81 firearms and 10 replica weapons from gun stores over the course of three successful break-ins. Law enforcement officials also said the group attempted to steal from seven other stores.

The four defendants are 19-year-old Cy’juan Hemsley of District Heights, 20-year-old Mahkiya McQuinn-Woodley of Baltimore, an unnamed 17-year-old from Temple Hills and an unnamed 16-year-old from Upper Marlboro.

According to the Maryland Attorney General’s Office, all four are being charged as adults and all four are being held without bail.

Online court records did not show the cases against Hemsley and McQuinn-Woodley as of Tuesday afternoon. It was not immediately clear whether either had legal representation.

The group broke into gun shops using crowbars or circular saws, according to the indictment released Tuesday. If they were unable to get into the store or if an alarm went off, they fled.

After successful burglaries, the group “bragged” and “showed off” on social media by posting about the firearms on Instagram and YouTube, the indictment states. Two unnamed minors posted photos with Hemsley on their feeds and stories, often with multiple firearms, charging documents state.

One of the minors also sold the firearms via Instagram, even though one of them said that one had to “proceed with caution” on the app, the indictment states.

The group also often attempted to break into multiple stores in one night, stealing as many as 35 firearms at once. On Christmas Day, Hensley and two unnamed minors broke into three stores in the Anne Arundel County area and attempted to break into a fourth store in Pasadena, but left the store after the owner remotely triggered an alarm, the indictment states.

A few days before New Year’s Eve, two unnamed minors are accused along with Hemsley and McQuinn-Woodley of breaking into Haze Line Guns and stealing 10 air-carrying weapons. They are also accused of breaking into EJB’s gun shop where 46 firearms were stolen.

According to the Attorney General’s Office, only six of the stolen weapons have been confiscated so far. All of the confiscated firearms were in the hands of minors or persons who were prohibited from owning firearms.

Police arrested McQuinn-Woodley and Hemsley in January.

ATF Special Agent in Charge Toni Crosby said in a statement that the investigation would continue “until every single stolen firearm has been recovered.”

The cases are filed in Anne Arundel County.

This is an evolving story.