KENT COUNTY, Mich. — Two brothers were sentenced to seven years in prison for stealing dozens of firearms from a Kent County gun store on Thursday.
The crime took place in February of 2022 when Joseph Woods, 33, and his brother, Johon Woods, 28, broke into Al and Bob’s Sports on 68th St. in Grand Rapids.
U.S. Attorney Mark Totten said that the two brothers stole 53 firearms from the licensed gun dealer and then fled the scene when police arrived.
Joseph left in a car, leaving his brother behind when the police arrived. They say that Johon stole a nearby vehicle and attempted to flee before losing control of the vehicle and crashing into a nearby McDonald's, where he was arrested.
Joseph was arrested the next day after being spotted in the same vehicle used in the gun store robbery.
Only 21 of the 53 firearms stolen were recovered by police. The remaining 32 were believed to have been sold on the black market.
“My office is focused on disrupting the escalating gun violence that is plaguing our communities,” said U.S. Attorney Mark Totten. “Together with our federal, state, local, and tribal law enforcement partners we will continue to pursue, arrest, and prosecute armed criminals and gun traffickers, like the Woods brothers.”
U.S. District Judge Jane Judge Beckering stated that this crime will have “an extraordinary contribution to the violence in our community.”
“Stopping the flow of illegal firearms into our communities is a top priority for ATF,” said Assistant Special Agent in Charge Craig Kailimai. “This case demonstrates the excellent work of our agents and law enforcement partners in recovering this volume of stolen firearms before violent criminals had the chance to use them on our streets.”
Judge Beckering also ordered a three-year period of supervised release following the defendants' prison sentences.
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