Three Men Sentenced to a Total of Over 17 Years For Theft of Firearms from Berryville, Arkansas Gun Store

            Fort Smith, Arkansas – Kenneth Elser, Acting United States Attorney for the Western District of Arkansas, announced that three men were sentenced today on one count each of Aiding and Abetting the Theft of Firearms from a Federal Firearms Licensee.  Taz Bibey, age 19, of Tillamook, Oregon was sentenced to 40 months in federal prison and two years of supervised release; Timothy Brown, age 50, of Eureka Springs, Arkansas was sentenced to 120 months in federal prison and three years of supervised release; Andrew Davis, age 26, of Eureka Springs, Arkansas was sentenced to 46 months in federal prison and two years of supervised release.  The three defendants were also ordered to pay restitution in the amount of $17,734 jointly and severally. The Honorable P.K. Holmes, III handed down the sentences in the United States District Court in Fort Smith.

            According to court records, on May 8, 2015, Kings River New and Used Guns located in Berryville, Arkansas was burglarized, and 55 guns were stolen. On May 11, it was determined by the ATF that all of the firearms had traveled in interstate commerce.  On May 13, officers from the Branson, Missouri Police Department responded to the Four Seasons Inn regarding two individuals that would not leave the business. The two individuals, Andrew Davis and Taz Bibey, agreed to leave the inn after police arrived. Officers then received a second phone call from the hotel that one of the individuals was trying to get back into the room to retrieve a gun.  Hotel Management entered the room and retrieved a Glock .45 caliber model 21 handgun.  Subsequent investigation revealed the handgun was stolen from Kings River on May 8 and that the serial number had been defaced.  Officers learned that Davis and Bibey had been associating with Timothy Brown who was also staying at the Inn.  Brown was located and stated that Davis and Bibey had come to his room and were showing off some guns they had.  Officers located some ammunition, several syringes with methamphetamine residue, and a smoking pipe in Brown’s room.  Brown was arrested and taken into custody for the drugs.  Davis and Bibey were interviewed and both admitted their role in the offense and implicated Brown by stating that the idea to burglarize the gun shop was his.  They admitted to entering the business and loading the guns into boxes and transferring them to Brown’s van where he was waiting.  The guns were then transported to Missouri for distribution.  An individual in Missouri admitted to purchasing three guns from Brown.  In his interview, Brown admitted to being with Davis and Bibey on the day in question and to disposing of at least one of the firearms in exchange for methamphetamine. 

            This case was investigated by the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives, the Branson Police Department, and the Arkansas State Police. Assistant U.S. Attorney David Harris prosecuted the cases for the United States.

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Related court documents may be found on the Public Access to Electronic Records website @ www.pacer.gov