MARYLAND – Four people face hundreds of charges in connection with a series of robberies at gun stores across Maryland, prosecutors said Tuesday.
According to Maryland Attorney General Anthony Brown, the burglaries occurred between December and March in Anne Arundel, Prince George’s and Baltimore counties. During the series, the group stole approximately 81 firearms and 10 replica firearms.
Only six of those weapons were seized, prosecutors said, and all were found in the hands of minors or people who did not have a permit to carry firearms.
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“The reality is that these stolen guns have found their way into our communities. So it’s always been a two-part mission: find those responsible and find the guns,” Brown said in a statement. “We’ve found the people and all we hear is: those who break the law will be held accountable.”
According to the public prosecutor, the following persons are accused:
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- Cy’juan Hemsley, a 19-year-old man from District Heights who is accused of 200 felonies.
- Mahkiya McQuinn-Woodley, a 20-year-old woman from Baltimore, is charged with 189 counts.
- An unnamed 17-year-old boy from Temple Hills who is accused of 199 counts.
- An unnamed 16-year-old boy from Upper Marlboro who is accused of 205 counts.
The group was charged for their various roles in committing three burglaries and seven attempted burglaries at stores with federal firearms licenses, commonly known as gun shops, prosecutors said. In addition, one member of the group was charged with theft of a motor vehicle.
Officials said the group would carry out the robberies late at night, using a crowbar to attempt to break into gun stores. Investigators also discovered several cases in which the group attempted to sell or trade the stolen firearms through social media.
Prosecutors said the group was robbed of its weapons at least twice and that one member of the group accidentally fired a weapon, hitting a comrade in both feet.
All of them will be charged as adults, prosecutors said.
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