Arlington man posed on Instagram with stolen handgun. He got 10 years in federal prison
Two men who stole guns from a man in an Arlington parking lot in the summer of 2021 have been sentenced to a combined 18 years in a federal prison, federal authorities said Thursday.
Cuedell Javon Henry, 20, and Tyrique Raashad Wesley, 25, received the sentences, announced U.S. Attorney for the Northern District of Texas Chad E. Meacham.
The suspects had pleaded guilty to possession of a stolen firearm. Wesley was sentenced in May to 105 months in federal prison, and Henry was sentenced Wednesday to 120 months, to run consecutively with an 180-month sentence handed down by the state.
“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,” Meacham said in a Thursday news release.
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.
Once there, Wesley and Henry asked if they could examine the firearms. After emptying the chambers of ammunition, the man obliged.
Henry loaded one of the pistols and pointed it at the victim while Wesley — a convicted felon who was not legally allowed to possess firearms — tucked the other pistol into his waistband., according to federal authorities.
Armed with the two guns, the pair fled the scene in a 2013 Dodge Charger. The seller gave chase, and was able to take down the car’s license plate.
Based on the victim’s descriptions of Henry’s tattoos, law enforcement identified him. A review of his Instagram account showed him posing with multiple firearms, including a pistol similar to the one that had been stolen.
Law enforcement then found his Dodge Charger at a townhome in Arlington. There, they saw Henry and Wesley load a black bag into the vehicle and drive away.
Officers tried to conduct a traffic stop, but Wesley, who was driving the vehicle, initially managed to evade them. They found the car abandoned, with the front doors open, a short while later.
Police later found and arrested Wesley, who gave chase on foot, and Henry.
Agents found one of the stolen guns inside the Dodge Charger, and another inside the townhome.
In plea papers, both men admitted to possessing the weapons.
“Stolen firearms are generally taken by offenders for further criminal use and pose a significant threat to our communities.,” said ATF Dallas Acting Special Agent in Charge James VanVliet in a news release. “ATF will continue to work with Arlington Police Department and other partners to investigate and disrupt these crimes.”
This story was originally published September 22, 2022 at 10:53 AM.
