ARLINGTON, Texas — Two men who officials say stole guns from a man in an Arlington parking lot have been sentenced to federal prison, Department of Justice officials announced Thursday.
Cuedell Javon Henry, 20, and Tyrique Raashad Wesley, 25, were charged in July 2021, and they both pleaded guilty to possession of a stolen firearm.
Wesley was sentenced to eight years and nine months in prison in May 2022, and Henry was sentenced to 10 years on Wednesday, to run consecutive to a 15-year sentence handed down by the state, DOJ officials said in a press release.
According to court documents, in the summer of 2021, Henry and Wesley contacted a man who advertised two 9mm pistols for sale on texasguntrader.com, claiming they wanted to purchase the guns. The three men agreed to meet in a parking lot in Arlington.
When the three met up, Henry and Wesley asked to examine the guns and the seller obliged after emptying the chamber, DOJ officials said. The DOJ said Henry loaded one of the pistols and pointed it at the seller while Wesley tucked the other pistol in his waistband. The duo the fled the scene in a 2013 Dodge Charger, according to the DOJ.
“It is legal for hobbyists to sell off a few guns, but we urge them to exercise caution when doing so. Criminals – particularly those legally barred from possessing firearms – will often stop at nothing, including violence, to get their hands on guns,” U.S. Attorney Chad E. Meacham said.
The seller was able to take down the car's license plate, and law enforcement later located the Dodge Charger at an Arlington townhome. Officers saw Henry and Wesley load the car with a black bag and drive away. Police attempted to conduct a traffic stop and the car, driven by Wesley, initially evaded them, but both men were arrested.
Agents found one of the stolen guns inside the Dodge Charger, and another inside the townhome, DOJ officials said.
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