An Apopka man who stole over a dozen firearms from a gun store will spend nearly four years behind bars for the offense.
Jeremy Middleton, 25, was sentenced to 3 years and 10 months in federal prison for possession of stolen firearms.
According to court records, Middleton drove to a federally licensed gun store in Melbourne on January 4, 2023. Upon arrival, Middleton breached the back door using a grinder and a hammer.
Middleton then entered the store and stole 13 firearms. He carried the weapons out of the store in a black trash bag.
Two days after the incident, on January 6, 2023, Middleton attempted to breach the door of a gun store in Clearwater when he was caught and apprehended by law enforcement.
In the vehicle that Middleton had at the scene, authorities found two firearms that had been stolen from the gun store in Melbourne.
The remaining 11 firearms were recovered in a trash bag in the back yard of Middleton’s residence, according to authorities.
Middleton entered a guilty plea on September 13, 2023. He was forced to forfeit all of the firearms that he stole.