Florida man breaks into gun store with grinder and hammer, leaves with 13 guns in trash bag: DOJ

Crimes of the Week

ORLANDO, Fla. - An Apopka man is heading to prison for stealing 13 guns from a Melbourne gun store in January 2023, according to the Department of Justice. 

On Jan. 4, 2023, 25-year-old Jeremy Middleton drove to a federally licensed gun store in Melbourne and breached the back door with what appeared to be a grinder and hammer, the DOJ said. 

He walked into the store and stole 13 firearms – carrying them out in a black trash bag. 

A couple of days later on Jan. 6, Middleton tried to breach the door of a Clearwater gun store but was busted by law enforcement in the middle of the act. 

During the arrest, police found two of the stolen guns in the car Middleton was driving that night while the 11 remaining guns were found in a trash bag in Middleton's yard, the DOJ said. 

Middleton was sentenced to three years and 10 months in federal prison for possession of stolen firearms.