Maine Man Admits He Stole 15 Guns in Theft Planned on Instagram

A Maine man has pleaded guilty to charges related to the theft of 15 guns from a Waterville pawn shop.

The Guns Were Stolen Over a Year Ago

Damiean Marcial-Alexander, 21, was one of two people accused of stealing multiple firearms from JR's Trading Post and Pawn Shop in April 2023.

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Surveillance Images From the Store Show Two Suspects Breaking In

Court documents state that Alexander and a co-conspirator broke into JR's Trading Post and stole multiple firearms. The guns that were stolen included a Glock, Model 17 Gen5 9mm pistol, and a Smith & Wesson .38 special revolver, among others. The District of Maine's U.S. Attorney's Office says the store's owner reported that 15 firearms in all were stolen, including six revolvers and nine semi-automatic pistols.

The accused co-conspirator was identified at the time of their arrest as Ryan Ansart, 21, of Springfield, Massachusetts. At the time of the crime, Police released video surveillance images of the two suspects breaking a pane of glass and illegally entering the business. They can then be seen using a hammer to smash a glass case and steal the weapons.

The Suspects Allegedly Posted Pics to Instagram of Themselves With the Stolen Guns

Evidence collected in this investigation included Instagram postings and text messages sent while the suspects were allegedly planning the crime. That evidence included photos of the two men holding some of the stolen firearms.

Marcial-Alexander pleaded guilty in a Bangor courtroom last week to conspiring to steal firearms from a federally licensed firearms dealer and stealing firearms from that dealer. He faces up to 10 years in prison and a $250,000 fine followed by up to three years of supervised release.

He will be sentenced at a later date.