Two Winnemucca Residents Charged With Conspiracy To Steal Multiple Firearms From Federal Firearms Licensee

RENO, Nev. — George Wyatt Elms and Travis Klyn made their initial appearances today for allegedly conspiring to steal dozens of firearms from a Federal Firearms Licensee (FFL), announced U.S. Attorney Nicholas A. Trutanich for the District of Nevada and Acting Special Agent in Charge Frederic D. Winston for the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives (ATF).

As alleged in the complaint, on February 19, 2020, Elms, 31, and Klyn, 39, both Winnemucca residents, conspired to steal 25 firearms from an FFL in Winnemucca. Surveillance footage from that day depicted an individual — wearing what appears to be a clown mask — pacing back and forth, and shining a flashlight through a warehouse. According to video surveillance, three individuals were able to gain entry to the warehouse by first removing a panel in the roof. They dropped down approximately ten feet onto a nearby staircase, and then broke through a door. On surveillance video, one individual used a pickaxe to break the glass of a gun case, and the others loaded firearms into their backpacks.

Elms and Klyn are charged with one count of conspiracy to steal, take, or carry away firearms from the premises of an FFL. Elms is also charged with one count of theft of firearms from the premises of an FFL. Elms and Klyn appeared today before U.S. Magistrate Judge Carla Baldwin, who scheduled a preliminary hearing on April 16, 2020.

If convicted, the statutory maximum sentence for conspiracy to steal, take, or carry away firearms from the premises of an FFL is five years in prison and a $250,000 fine, and theft of firearms from the premises of an FFL is 10 years in prison and a $250,000 fine. The maximum statutory sentences are prescribed by Congress and are provided here for informational purposes only. If convicted of any offense, the sentencing of a defendant will be determined by the court based on the advisory Sentencing Guidelines and other statutory factors.

A criminal complaint is a formal accusation of criminal conduct for purposes of establishing probable cause, not evidence of guilt. The defendants are presumed innocent unless and until proven guilty in a court of law.

This case is the product of an investigation by the ATF and the Winnemucca Police Department. Assistant U.S. Attorney Megan Rachow is prosecuting the case.

This case was brought as part of Project Safe Neighborhoods (PSN), a nationwide program by the Department of Justice that has been historically successful in bringing together all levels of law enforcement to reduce violent crime and make our neighborhoods safer for everyone. The Department has made turning the tide of rising violent crime in America a top priority. In October 2017, as part of a series of actions to address this crime trend, the Department announced the reinvigoration of PSN. For more information about PSN, visit www.justice.gov/usao-nv.