Three Fort Drum Soldiers Charged in Gun Shop Burglary Investigation

SYRACUSE, NEW YORK – Rian Patterson, age 22, Devin Diggs, age 20, and Tyrease Kimmons, age 20, U.S. Army soldiers stationed at Fort Drum, New York, appeared in federal court yesterday on a criminal complaint charging them in connection the burglaries of two North Country federally licensed firearms dealers, announced United States Attorney Grant C. Jaquith and John B. DeVito, Special Agent in Charge of the New York Field Division of the United States Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms, and Explosives (ATF).

The criminal complaint charges Patterson and Diggs with stealing firearms from federally licensed firearms dealers and conspiring to do so.  Tyrease Kimmons is charged with the knowing receipt of stolen firearms. The criminal complaint further alleges that 10 firearms (5 pistols, 3 rifles, 2 shotguns) were taken during burglaries on September 14, 2019, in Gouvernuer, N.Y., and September 29, 2019, in De Kalb Junction, N.Y.

Patterson and Diggs are stationed at Fort Drum, N.Y, where they reside.  Kimmons is a resident of Evans Mills, N.Y., and is also stationed at Fort Drum.

If convicted of the charges set forth in the complaint, the defendants face up to 10 years in prison, a maximum fine of up $250,000, and up to 3 years of supervised release. The defendants are currently held in custody without bail pending a detention hearing.

The charges in the complaint are merely accusations. The defendants are presumed innocent unless and until proven guilty.

This case is being investigated by the ATF, U.S Army Criminal Investigation Division (ARMY CID), the St. Lawrence County Sheriff’s Department, and the New York State Police, and is being prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney Thomas Sutcliffe.

This case is brought pursuant to Project Safe Neighborhoods (PSN), the centerpiece of the Department of Justice’s violent crime reduction efforts.  PSN is an evidence-based program proven to be effective at reducing violent crime. Through PSN, a broad spectrum of stakeholders work together to identify the most pressing violent crime problems in the community and develop comprehensive solutions to address them. As part of this strategy, PSN focuses enforcement efforts on the most violent offenders and partners with locally based prevention and reentry programs for lasting reductions in crime.