BECKLEY, W.Va. – A Greenbrier County man pleaded
guilty to conspiracy to steal firearms from the premises of a federal
firearms licensee.
David Alan Rookstool, 22, of Alderson, Greenbrier
County, W.Va., admitted that from sometime prior to November 21, 2010
until November 22, 2010, he and two known associates
conspired to steal firearms from a federally licensed firearms dealer in
Lewisburg.
Rookstool admitted that after stealing a
vehicle on November 22, 2010, he and an associate traveled
to Lewisburg to steal firearms. Upon arriving in Lewisburg, the
defendant's stolen vehicle ran out of gasoline.
Both Rookstool and his
associate walked the remaining distance to the firearm dealer's store
and stole approximately 20 firearms. After the defendant
and his associate exited the store with the stolen guns, they traveled
to a known abandoned residence.
Rookstool further admitted that while
at the known abandoned residence, he and his co-conspirators hid the
stolen firearms. Rookstool also admitted that
on November 29, he and an associate gave two firearms to a third known
individual. That firearm was recovered by law enforcement.
It was also
determined by law enforcement that another firearm, a .380 pistol that
included a laser scope, was thrown into a
river by the defendant's co-conspirator at the time of his arrest on
Nov. 29, 2010.
Rookstool faces up to five years in prison
and a $250,000 fine when he is sentenced on June
19,
2013 by United States District Judge Irene C. Berger.
The investigation was conducted by the Bureau
of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives (ATF).
Assistant United States Attorney John File is in charge of the
prosecution.
