BOSTON - A Worcester man was convicted today in federal court of stealing over 50 guns that he stole from a gun shop where he was employed.
Kevin William Burke, 31, pleaded guilty before U.S. District Judge F. Dennis Saylor, IV to theft of a firearm from a licensed dealer.
Had the case proceeded to trial the Government’s evidence would have proven that K&R Target Sports (“K&R”) was a federally licensed gun dealer operating in Hudson, Mass. Burke worked at K&R beginning in July 2009, and managed the business from December 2009 through mid-April 2010 while the owner was in Florida. During his employment, Burke stole not less than 54 guns from the inventory and sold most of the guns to other gun dealers in and around the Worcester area.
Burke made numerous false entries in the book and records of K&R that tracked the acquisition and disposition of guns, in order to conceal the theft. In many instances Burke failed to record that K&R had received a gun from the manufacturer or dealer, even though an invoice showed that it had. In other instances, Burke falsely reported that the gun was sold to a party other than the individual or gun dealer to whom Burke actually sold the gun. Burke told gun dealers that he was liquidating his inventory of guns because he was returning to Afghanistan. The prosecutor told the Court that the evidence showed that Burke maintained a secret bank account through which over $65,000 in unexplained income passed.
Judge Saylor scheduled sentencing for Aug. 9, 2012. Burke faces up to 10 years in prison, to be followed by three years of supervised release and a $250,000 fine.
United States Attorney Carmen M. Ortiz and Guy Thomas, Special Agent in Charge of the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosive - Boston Field Division made the announcement today. The case is being prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney David Hennessy, Chief of Ortiz’s Worcester Office.
