Two Men Plead Guilty to Burglary of Gloucester Pawn Shop

NEWPORT NEWS, Va. – Patrick O. Cox, 20, of Heathsville, Va., and Avery Carter, 20, of Chesterfield, Va., plead guilty yesterday to theft of firearms. In addition, Cox pled guilty to being a felon in possession of a firearm.

Dana J. Boente, U.S. Attorney for the Eastern District of Virginia; and Charles E. Smith, ATF Special Agent in Charge, made the announcement after the plea was accepted by U.S. District Judge Robert G. Doumar.

Cox and Carter were indicted by a federal grand jury on April 15, 2015. Cox faces a maximum penalty of ten years in prison on each count if convicted.  Carter faces a maximum penalty of ten years in prison if convicted.  The maximum statutory sentence is prescribed by Congress and is provided here for informational purposes, as the sentencing of the defendant will be determined by the court based on the advisory Sentencing Guidelines and other statutory factors.

According to a statement of facts filed with their plea agreements, at approximately 1:32 a.m. on January 15, 2015, three individuals broke into the Gloucester Pawn Shop.  They wore masks and carried tools to break into the firearm display cases.  They stole a total of twenty firearms and later admitted to participating in the burglary.  Both Cox and Carter will be sentenced on September 15, 2015, in U.S. District Court in Norfolk. A third individual, Donovan Carlos, is proceeding to trial which is currently set for July 7, 2015, in Newport News.

This case was investigated by ATF and the Gloucester Sheriff’s Department. Assistant U.S. Attorney Robert E. Bradenham, II is prosecuting the case on behalf of the United States.

A copy of this press release may be found on the website of the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Eastern District of Virginia.  Related court documents and information may be found on the website of the District Court for the Eastern District of Virginia or on PACER by searching for Case No. 4:15cr20.

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