Thieves steal things. It is an unfortunate consequence of opportunity and greed. During last month’s SHOT Show, two guys managed to steal 65 guns from the show floor.

Three years ago something similar happened at the Great American Outdoor Show. Some idiots thought it would be a good idea to steal a prototype 9mm SBR. The GAOS had cameras and caught the thieves in the act.

However the two thieves responsible for this recent SHOT Show heist were not caught on camera as far as we know. Instead it was a collaborative effort between ATF and local FFLs. Upon discovering that guns were missing at SHOT Show, the ATF were alerted. They sent out alerts to the local FFLs in the Clark County area.

SHOT Show requires all vendors that have guns on display to either modify to remove the firing pins from the guns. So the FFL Alert warned the FFLs to be on the look out for people who come in asking for firing pins. This is how they got caught. Trying to buy replacement firing pins.

Here is the report from Review Journal;

A pair of Las Vegas men were charged Wednesday with stealing dozens of firearms from the Shooting, Hunting and Outdoor Trade Show in January. Jamikko Foster, 27, and Eduardo Limon, 28, worked as forklift operators during the trade show at the Sands Expo and Convention Center, according to a criminal complaint. The two appeared in court to face federal charges of possession of a stolen firearm and possession of an unregistered firearm after authorities said they had stolen at least 65 firearms, including machine guns and rifles, from four companies — Remington Arms, LKCI, Blaser USA and Legacy Sports International — Jan. 20-29. Both men were released on their own recognizance, though U.S. Magistrate Judge Nancy Koppe restricted them from possessing weapons while out of custody. Assistant U.S. Attorney Phillip Smith told the judge that their jobs helped facilitate the thefts, though ATF agents “solved the crime in a near record-breaking period of time.” He added that the two men — who were part of Teamsters Local 631 — apparently had plans to sell the weapons. The prosecutor said Foster had a criminal history dating to 2010. Limon’s attorney, Chris Rasmussen, said, “My client looks forward to resolving this matter expeditiously.” Foster is a lifelong resident of the state and is married with two children, according to his lawyer, Deputy Federal Public Defender Andrew Wong. The list of weapons and accessories takes up two pages of a spreadsheet in a criminal complaint: Remington machine guns, rifles and pistols; Denel Land Systems machine guns; Mauser rifles, Glock pistols; Sauer & Sohn rifles; and Advanced Armament silencers. The Las Vegas office of the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives was notified of the thefts last week and launched an investigation with the Metropolitan Police Department’s Crime Gun Intelligence Center, the complaint stated. Silencers and machine guns must be registered with the National Firearms Registration and Transfer Record, according to the complaint. SHOT Show organizers require licensees to remove firing pins from all displayed weapons before the firearms enter the convention center, the complaint stated, meaning the guns would need to be modified before they could shoot. The ATF issued an alert on Friday asking gun store owners to “be attentive for any individuals seeking gunsmithing services or, more specifically, firing pins.” The next day, the owner of Gun Shop Las Vegas on St. Rose Parkway in Henderson reached out to the ATF, saying Limon, Foster and a woman had purchased a 12-gauge shotgun and magazines and asked about a firing pin for an AR-style firearm. The men said “they were told by an associate that the firing pin needed to be replaced when it was cleaned,” according to the complaint. The owner concluded “the individuals were unfamiliar and/or new to firearms.” Limon told the owner that he worked at SHOT show. On Monday, an ATF special agent spotted Foster’s black Chevrolet Impala, which had been seen at the Henderson store, parked at The Pearl at St. Rose apartments on Spencer Street near the gun store. Authorities later found the weapons inside the apartments of Foster and Limon, noting in the complaint that neither had any weapons registered.

ATF Affidavit

We were able to dig up the ATF Affidavit aka Criminal Complaint.

SHOT Show theft Affidavit/Criminal Complaint

Here is the list of items that they stole.

29 Firearms

36 Suppressors

Looking at the list above most of the items were stolen from Remington Arms.

Considering some of the weapons that were stolen are machine guns and suppressors, they will probably never be allowed to legally posses a firearm for the rest of their lives.