A 33-year-old Newport man has pleaded guilty to stealing a firearm from a federally licensed firearms dealer, U.S. Attorney Halsey B. Frank announced Wednesday.
According to court records, Adam Shawley entered the shop of a licensed dealer in Newport, went behind the counter and stole at least one firearm. Later, the dealer received text messages and phone calls from Shawley acknowledging that he had stolen firearms from the shop.
Shawley faces up to 10 years in prison and a $250,000 fine. He will be sentenced after the completion of a presentence investigation by the U.S. Probation Office.
The case was investigated by the Newport Police Department and the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives.
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