Feds charge three Mass men with stealing 40 firearms from NH gun dealers

Mark Hayward, The New Hampshire Union Leader, Manchester
·3 min read
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Jun. 22—CONCORD — Three young adults from Massachusetts participated in the break-ins of three New Hampshire gun shops last year, breaches that resulted in the theft of more than 40 guns, according to indictments and arrests announced this week by federal prosecutors.

A federal grand jury issued indictments earlier this month against the three, who live in the Lawrence-Methuen area, according to a statement issued by Jane Young, the top federal prosecutor in New Hampshire. All three are charged with conspiracy to steal firearms from a gun dealer.

"They took out a hammer and smashed their way through the front door. They were in and out in 30 seconds," said Nick D'Augustine, the owner of Milford Firearms, which was burglarized on Sept. 1.

He had recently purchased the building from the owner, upgraded the roof and siding but had not reinstalled the galvanized stainless steel reinforcement behind the glass front door

"I wanted it to look nice for a change, but unfortunately it was like dangling a worm in front of a fish," he said. He said the burglary took place shortly after 4 a.m., and when he arrived local police, the FBI and the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco and Firearms were already on the scene.

According to indictments, thieves used stolen vehicles to drive to New Hampshire on three different occasions, break into the gun shops and steal handguns, assault rifles, shotguns and revolvers.

According to indictments:

On Aug. 31, the conspirators stole a Hyundai Sonata and Honda Pilot to travel to Milford. Three broke into Milford Firearms, where they stole 18 pistols.

On Sept. 24, one or more of the three stole a Jeep and drove it to Windham, where two broke into Second Amendment Firearms in Windham and stole assault rifles and a long rifle.

On Oct. 1, four people drove a stole Honda HRV to MacPherson Firearms in Brentwood, where they stole two shotguns, 13 pistols, three revolvers and a rifle.

Authorities are vague about what happened to the guns. Two of the three had three guns in their possession on Oct. 1, according to indictments.

"Some of the stolen firearms have been recovered in Massachusetts," reads a press release issued by Jane Young, the top federal prosecutor in New Hampshire.

Although the indictments mention four conspirators, only three have been charged: Methuen resident Ethan Ayala, 20; Lawrence resident William Mejia, 19; Methuen resident Johariel Quezada, 18.

Ayala and Mejia were arrested Tuesday and each were released pretrial. Ayala is subject to electronic monitoring and a night-time curfew.

Mejia is under house arrest. Quezada is in custody in the Essex County jail on Massachusetts charges.

According to Young's office, prosecutors had enough evidence to bring charges only against three at this point.

"The whole system stinks," D'Augustine said about their release. "They should let me have them for 10 minutes."

The BATF, the New Hampshire State Police and local police in both New Hampshire and Massachusetts assisted with the investigation.