Huge Gun Shop Theft Bust

[PoormansMachinegun]

Keep in mind that news media tends to exaggerate a bit. Gary Williams worked at Popguns part time in the evenings. I am certain it will take awhile to get an exact value on what was taken. I will provide more details when/if permitted!

 

[Silverado]

I don't look for Pop Guns to be around much longer. Their prices are ridiculous, no one who works there seems to want to be there, and their range is in a constant state of disrepair. The ATF will probably be interested in how that many guns walked out the door, if this is the shop in question. I do recognize Gary from his pic on the news, and he does work at Pops. Maybe one more nail in the coffin of what used to be a decent gun shop, many years ago. The final nail will probably be the opening of Beech Grove's new indoor range, with actual adequate ventilation and more than 4 working lanes, plus the ability to shoot rifles.

 

[Mr.JAG]

Not sure if anyone has pointed this out - but PopGuns is posting in the comment sections of the following article that relates to this bust:

Man Accused In Gun Thefts Linked To Law Enforcement - Indiana News Story - WRTV Indianapolis

Notice how they are defending Gary?

So either PopGuns isn't the store these guns came from, or they are actually involved (or encouraged) whatever operation Gary was conducting.

 

[PoormansMachinegun]

Not sure if anyone has pointed this out - but PopGuns is posting in the comment sections of the following article that relates to this bust:

Man Accused In Gun Thefts Linked To Law Enforcement - Indiana News Story - WRTV Indianapolis

Notice how they are defending Gary?

So either PopGuns isn't the store these guns came from, or they are actually involved (or encouraged) whatever operation Gary was conducting.

What comment did you read? I am not seeing where popguns is defending Gary at all. Channel 6 got some information wrong, and they are correcting it.

I am the first person to criticize popguns when criticism is due. However in this case, there is an abundance of miss information given out by the media. Around 500 guns were seized, Less than 10 came from the store. It's believed that the remaining guns was purchased with money Gary stole from the shop. There was a multitude of product recovered to the point that you could open up your own gun accessory shop. The inventory practices that worked in the past, has failed in the present I am sure that will change. More info soon!

 

[cbseniour]

The guy was the manager at Pop Guns, Gary Williams according to the Indy Star this morning he had been stealing guns, Accessories and Ammo from the store for some time.
Check out the Indy Star Web site article by Vic Rykaert
Gun store manager charged with thefts | The Indianapolis Star | indystar.com

 

[Indyvet]

Will we ever know the real story? I see several conflicting reports across the media which is not suprising. I did see where his bond is set at 1 million because they feel he is a flight risk. But above someone is making it sound like he only took a couple of guns and the rest were his. This seems like a pretty big deal if it is mostly accessories? The other confusing thing is, does anyone know the ladder of people here. Do the original owners still own it or does Mike Hilton? I see the guy that got busted was the manager and seems he was running all of the day to day and everything else. One of the stations listed Hilton as the information tech officer. I was under the impression he was the manager or owner. The whole thing seems a little confusing? I also saw where they are talking about federal charges.

 

[4sarge]

Will we ever know the real story? I see several conflicting reports across the media which is not suprising. I did see where his bond is set at 1 million because they feel he is a flight risk. But above someone is making it sound like he only took a couple of guns and the rest were his. This seems like a pretty big deal if it is mostly accessories? The other confusing thing is, does anyone know the ladder of people here. Do the original owners still own it or does Mike Hilton? I see the guy that got busted was the manager and seems he was running all of the day to day and everything else. One of the stations listed Hilton as the information tech officer. I was under the impression he was the manager or owner. The whole thing seems a little confusing? I also saw where they are talking about federal charges.

I can add a little. Mike Hilton opened the store at 10th & Mithoeffer Road back in the late 80's or early 90's in combo with a balloon store that his wife ran. A 2nd store was opened on N Georgetown Road, just North of 56th Street with his son as the manager. That store closed after at least 1 robbery or burglary (I think). The rest isn't clear. The store moved to it's present location, grew larger, Mike became ill, store attitude changed dramatically. Store & range were for sale at an IMO an astronomical price for the range and location only, with no inventory. I'm unclear on the rest

This whole thing is quite Bizarre

 

[96firephoenix]

I bet this was the guy who did Pops and wasn't there a west side shop that was burglarized?

Yes and Yes. it was the guy from Pops (according to this mornings Star) and Don's guns on the westside had someone come in, look at a Pink (sig?) and then just walk out to her car with it and drive away.

from channel 6's site:

Gary Williams has ties to law enforcement...Police suspect Williams of selling his employer's guns over the internet for the past four years.

more from project gunwalker?

 

[Indyvet]

I can add a little. Mike Hilton opened the store at 10th & Mithoeffer Road back in the late 80's or early 90's in combo with a balloon store that his wife ran. A 2nd store was opened on N Georgetown Road, just North of 56th Street with his son as the manager. That store closed after at least 1 robbery or burglary (I think). The rest isn't clear. The store moved to it's present location, grew larger, Mike became ill, store attitude changed dramatically. Store & range were for sale at an IMO an astronomical price for the range and location only, with no inventory. I'm unclear on the rest

This whole thing is quite Bizarre

I don't understand it either. Not that it matters but I have heard they were selling and someone else bought it or worked something out. I also heard the original owner still owns it but runs an internet business and does not have much to do with the shop. I do remember when they were selling the range and location not the name or inventory and it was quite a bit of money. Maybe that is what this Gary guy was doing. He was working on getting a down payment together to buy the business. LOL

 

[ZbornacSVT]

I am 95%+ sure that is the guy my father took a couple classes with over there....

 

[MrsGungho]

I don't understand it either. Not that it matters but I have heard they were selling and someone else bought it or worked something out. I also heard the original owner still owns it but runs an internet business and does not have much to do with the shop. I do remember when they were selling the range and location not the name or inventory and it was quite a bit of money. Maybe that is what this Gary guy was doing. He was working on getting a down payment together to buy the business. LOL

Mike was trying to sell it a few years back, not sure if it is still on the market now. Gary was trying to buy the shop but his loans fell through, this was at least a year or so back.
Mike and his wife still own the store and Mike has very little hands on with the shop, his gig is his internet businesses.

 

[PoormansMachinegun]

Several years ago Mike Hilton placed the store in his wife's name due to health reasons, not knowing if he was going to be around long. Currently Mike's time is taken up filling web orders from several of his websites.

Gary Williams was a manager, entrusted with a key to the store. Currently 7 firearms have been discover as coming from the shop. Those 7 firearms were fraudulently papered in some ones name, then called in to the FBI. I suspect that he would not of rang the fraudulent sale up due to instantly showing a short in the drawer.

 

[JBLee]

From the Star:

Prosecutors say the manager of a Far Eastside gun store stole hundreds of firearms from his employer and had accumulated about $300,000 from selling those weapons over the Internet.
A Marion County judge on Friday set a $1 million bond for Gary L. Williams, 51, who remained in the Marion County Jail on initial charges of theft.
Prosecutors say Williams stole firearms, ammunition and accessories valued at more than $500,000 from Pop Guns Family Indoor Shooting Range, 30 S. Post Road.
Williams is scheduled to appear Monday for an initial hearing.
Officers on Thursday seized 485 guns and $107,000 from Williams' home in the 9400 block of Jill Court. Three of the guns were equipped with silencers and one was a fully automatic Uzi, according to court documents filed Friday.
Prosecutors say Williams had another $200,000 stashed in several bank accounts. Williams, prosecutors said, is a former law-enforcement officer, but The Indianapolis Star was unable to confirm what agency had employed him.
On Friday, detectives searched storage facilities belonging to Williams in the 2200 block of North Shadeland Avenue, Indianapolis Metropolitan Police Department spokesman Anthony Schneider said. Detectives found firearms accessories, but no guns or ammunition.
According to a probable-cause affidavit filed Friday, the investigation began July 1 when Mike Hilton, the information technology manager for Pop Guns, told police he had discovered evidence showing that Williams had been stealing from the store since Jan. 1.
In the affidavit, Sgt. Garth Schwomeyer described 10 instances in which surveillance cameras caught Williams stealing cash, guns and accessories.
Schwomeyer described an incident recorded May 29 in which "Williams' arms were so full of store product, he had to make two trips to get everything out to his vehicle."
Three computers taken from Williams show that he had set up a lucrative business selling the stolen property over the Internet, prosecutors said.
Prosecutors described Williams as "an extreme flight risk" because he expressed a fear of going to prison and had access to large sums of money. Federal authorities are considering filing additional charges against Williams, prosecutors said.

Karma is a *****.

 

[beararms1776]

You would think a gun shop would be locked up like Fort Knox.

 

[Ldog187]

In the past, I've talked to the Loss Prevention department at work and they say most of the theft from our retail stores are usually internal theft. Something to think about; especially when you own a gun store.

 

[rugertoter]

500 guns huh? I don't think my vehicle would carry that much.

 

[rimfire_crazed]

Yet another nail in the coffin of the neverending popguns saga.

 

[GuyRelford]

I don't have nearly enough information to draw any conclusions, but if I had to guess, the terms "BATFE" and "inventory control" are going to mentioned a lot in future discussions of this issue.

 

[Don]

You guys got such CLOSED minds as far as stealing these guns, why steal new ones? Used ones make good $$.

Why steal guns on the books, the store gets HUNDREDS of guns brought in each week. Joe blow brings in his glock 19 in and is hurting for cash. Gary offers him $175 cash for it. Gary goes and takes the cash from the drawer, never logs it in the books etc... the gun is now paid for by Mike Hilton and is still legal for sale on the internet as Mike has no way of knowing it was stolen. And my guess is no one ever counts the drawer down vs sales n crap if he was swiping cash too.

Sorry to put a wedge in y'alls little working machine and bust it.

 

[GuyRelford]

You guys got such CLOSED minds as far as stealing these guns, why steal new ones? Used ones make good $$.

Why steal guns on the books, the store gets HUNDREDS of guns brought in each week. Joe blow brings in his glock 19 in and is hurting for cash. Gary offers him $175 cash for it. Gary goes and takes the cash from the drawer, never logs it in the books etc... the gun is now paid for by Mike Hilton and is still legal for sale on the internet as Mike has no way of knowing it was stolen. And my guess is no one ever counts the drawer down vs sales n crap if he was swiping cash too.

Sorry to put a wedge in y'alls little working machine and bust it.

So, just to be clear - you don't think the federal requirements for "inventory control" apply to used guns taken in trade or purchased at the shop for cash?