Score:   1
Docket Number:   ED-KY  5:19-cr-00038
Case Name:   USA v. Stidham et al
  Press Releases:
LEXINGTON, Ky. – Wayne Russell Fugate, 49, of Lexington was sentenced on Monday, by Chief United States District Judge Danny C. Reeves, to 97 months in federal prison for buying and selling stolen firearms and for being a convicted felon in possession of over 25 stolen firearms.

Beginning in 2017, the eastern Kentucky area, as well as areas in Tennessee and Ohio, experienced a number of vehicle break-ins where firearms were stolen. A law enforcement task force led to the arrest of Dario Adrian Mauriz-Cruz, 27, and Jeremy D. Stidham, 27, as suspects in these break-ins. The investigation determined that Fugate acted as a “fence” for Stidham and Cruz, buying stolen firearms from them.

According to Fugate’s plea agreement, investigators executed a search warrant at his residence in Lexington, in November 2017. There, they located 22 stolen firearms and over 2,000 rounds of ammunition. Further investigation recovered six more stolen firearms purchased by Fugate. Fugate admitted to selling firearms to at least 11 others. Fugate had a prior federal felony conviction for being an unlawful user of controlled substances in possession of firearms. 

Both Stidham and Cruz pleaded guilty to federal firearms charges, in August 2019.  Cruz, also a convicted felon, was sentenced to ten years in prison for his role in stealing the firearms. Stidham was sentenced to 100 months.   

Robert M. Duncan, Jr., United States Attorney for the Eastern District of Kentucky; Tommy Estevan, Acting Special Agent in Charge for ATF Louisville Field Division; Richard W. Sanders, KSP Commissioner; Chief Lawrence Weathers, Lexington Police Department; Michael Helmig, Boone County Sheriff; Matt Sparks, Rowan County Sheriff; Ernie Kelty, Mercer County Sheriff; and Mike Coyle, Madison County Sheriff, collectively announced the sentencing.

The investigation was conducted by the ATF, Boone County Sheriff’s Office, the Kentucky State Police, Lexington Police Department, Madison County Sheriff’s Office, Mercer County Sheriff’s Office, and Rowan County Sheriff’s Office. The United States was represented by Assistant U.S. Attorney Roger W. West. 

— END —

LEXINGTON, Ky. – Jeremy D. Stidham, Dario Adrian Mauriz-Cruz, Wayne Russell Fugate, and Larry Joe Burton have all entered guilty pleas to federal charges related to stolen firearms.  Stidham and Mauriz-Cruz pleaded guilty to stealing firearms and selling them.  Fugate pleaded guilty to buying stolen firearms and illegally possessing more than 25 firearms, as a convicted felon.  Burton pleaded guilty to possessing two stolen firearms, including a M-16 semi-automatic rifle stolen from law enforement. 

In September and October 2017, several locations in Kentucky, Ohio, and Tennessee experienced a number of vehicle break-ins, where firearms, credit cards and other items were stolen.  A multi-jurisdictional task force investigation identified Stidham and Mauriz-Cruzas the primary suspects.  The investigation also established that more than 50 firearms had been stolen, along with other personal property.  These firearms were sold to at least two others, including Fugate and Burton. 

In executing a search warrant at Fugate’s residence, law enforcement located 22 stolen firearms and more than 2,000 rounds of ammunition.  Subsequent investigation recovered six additional firearms purchased by Fugate.  Law enforcement also searched Burton’s residence and, through further investigation, recovered the M-16 semi-automatic rifle that had been stolen from law enforcement.         

Stidham, 25, pleaded guilty to aiding and abetting the possession of stolen firearms.  Mauriz-Cruz, 27, pleaded guilty to aiding and abetting the possession of stolen firearms and to being a felon in possession of firearms.  Fugate, 49, pleaded guilty to being a felon in possession of more than 25 stolen firearms and Burton, 59, pleaded guilty to possession of stolen firearms. 

 Robert M. Duncan, Jr., United States Attorney for the Eastern District of Kentucky; Stuart Lowery, Special Agent in Charge, ATF; Richard Sanders, Commissioner, KSP; Chief Lawrence Weathers, Lexington Police Department; Michael Helmig, Boone County Sheriff; Matt Sparks, Rowan County Sheriff; Ernie Kelty, Mercer County Sheriff; and Mike Coyle, Madison County Sheriff jointly announce the guilty pleas.  The United States was represented by Assistant U.S. Attorney Roger W. West. 

Stidham, Cruz, and Burton are scheduled to be sentenced on August 26, 2019; Fugate is scheduled to be sentenced on September 3, 2019.  Each faces up to ten years in prison and a fine of $250,000.  However, any sentence will be imposed by the Court, after consideration of the U.S. Sentencing Guidelines and the federal statutes. 

 

 

Description: The fiscal year of the data file obtained from the AOUSC
Format: YYYY

Description: The code of the federal judicial circuit where the case was located
Format: A2

Description: The code of the federal judicial district where the case was located
Format: A2

Description: The code of the district office where the case was located
Format: A2

Description: Docket number assigned by the district to the case
Format: A7

Description: A unique number assigned to each defendant in a case which cannot be modified by the court
Format: A3

Description: A unique number assigned to each defendant in a case which can be modified by the court
Format: A3

Description: A sequential number indicating whether a case is an original proceeding or a reopen
Format: N5

Description: Case type associated with the current defendant record
Format: A2

Description: A concatenation of district, office, docket number, case type, defendant number, and reopen sequence number
Format: A18

Description: A concatenation of district, office, docket number, case type, and reopen sequence number
Format: A15

Description: The status of the defendant as assigned by the AOUSC
Format: A2

Description: A code indicating the fugitive status of a defendant
Format: A1

Description: The date upon which a defendant became a fugitive
Format: YYYYMMDD

Description: The date upon which a fugitive defendant was taken into custody
Format: YYYYMMDD

Description: The date when a case was first docketed in the district court
Format: YYYYMMDD

Description: The date upon which proceedings in a case commenced on charges pending in the district court where the defendant appeared, or the date of the defendant’s felony-waiver of indictment
Format: YYYYMMDD

Description: A code used to identify the nature of the proceeding
Format: N2

Description: The date when a defendant first appeared before a judicial officer in the district court where a charge was pending
Format: YYYYMMDD

Description: A code indicating the event by which a defendant appeared before a judicial officer in the district court where a charge was pending
Format: A2

Description: A code indicating the type of legal counsel assigned to a defendant
Format: N2

Description: The title and section of the U.S. Code applicable to the offense committed which carried the highest severity
Format: A20

Description: A code indicating the level of offense associated with FTITLE1
Format: N2

Description: The four digit AO offense code associated with FTITLE1
Format: A4

Description: The four digit D2 offense code associated with FTITLE1
Format: A4

Description: A code indicating the severity associated with FTITLE1
Format: A3

Description: The title and section of the U.S. Code applicable to the offense committed which carried the second highest severity
Format: A20

Description: A code indicating the level of offense associated with FTITLE2
Format: N2

Description: The four digit AO offense code associated with FTITLE2
Format: A4

Description: The four digit D2 offense code associated with FTITLE2
Format: A4

Description: A code indicating the severity associated with FTITLE2
Format: A3

Description: The FIPS code used to indicate the county or parish where an offense was committed
Format: A5

Description: The date of the last action taken on the record
Format: YYYYMMDD

Description: The date upon which judicial proceedings before the court concluded
Format: YYYYMMDD

Description: The date upon which the final sentence is recorded on the docket
Format: YYYYMMDD

Description: The date upon which the case was closed
Format: YYYYMMDD

Description: The number of days from the earlier of filing date or first appearance date to proceeding date
Format: N3

Description: The number of days from proceeding date to disposition date
Format: N3

Description: The number of days from disposition date to sentencing date
Format: N3

Description: The code of the district office where the case was terminated
Format: A2

Description: A code indicating the type of legal counsel assigned to a defendant at the time the case was closed
Format: N2

Description: The title and section of the U.S. Code applicable to the offense that carried the most severe disposition and penalty under which the defendant was disposed
Format: A20

Description: A code indicating the level of offense associated with TTITLE1
Format: N2

Description: The four digit AO offense code associated with TTITLE1
Format: A4

Description: The four digit D2 offense code associated with TTITLE1
Format: A4

Description: A code indicating the severity associated with TTITLE1
Format: A3

Description: The code indicating the nature or type of disposition associated with TTITLE1
Format: N2

Description: The number of months a defendant was sentenced to prison under TTITLE1
Format: N4

Description: A code indicating whether the prison sentence associated with TTITLE1 was concurrent or consecutive in relation to the other counts in the indictment or information or multiple counts of the same charge
Format: A4

Description: The number of months of probation imposed upon a defendant under TTITLE1
Format: N4

Description: A period of supervised release imposed upon a defendant under TTITLE1
Format: N3

Description: The fine imposed upon the defendant at sentencing under TTITLE1
Format: N8

Description: The title and section of the U.S. Code applicable to the offense under which the defendant was disposed that carried the second most severe disposition and penalty
Format: A20

Description: A code indicating the level of offense associated with TTITLE2
Format: N2

Description: The four digit AO offense code associated with TTITLE2
Format: A4

Description: The four digit D2 offense code associated with TTITLE2
Format: A4

Description: A code indicating the severity associated with TTITLE2
Format: A3

Description: The code indicating the nature or type of disposition associated with TTITLE2
Format: N2

Description: The number of months a defendant was sentenced to prison under TTITLE2
Format: N4

Description: The number of months of probation imposed upon a defendant under TTITLE2
Format: N4

Description: A period of supervised release imposed upon a defendant under TTITLE2
Format: N3

Description: The fine imposed upon the defendant at sentencing under TTITLE2
Format: N8

Description: The total prison time for all offenses of which the defendant was convicted and prison time was imposed
Format: N4

Description: The total fine imposed at sentencing for all offenses of which the defendant was convicted and a fine was imposed
Format: N8

Description: A count of defendants filed including inter-district transfers
Format: N1

Description: A count of defendants filed excluding inter-district transfers
Format: N1

Description: A count of original proceedings commenced
Format: N1

Description: A count of defendants filed whose proceedings commenced by reopen, remand, appeal, or retrial
Format: N1

Description: A count of defendants terminated including interdistrict transfers
Format: N1

Description: A count of defendants terminated excluding interdistrict transfers
Format: N1

Description: A count of original proceedings terminated
Format: N1

Description: A count of defendants terminated whose proceedings commenced by reopen, remand, appeal, or retrial
Format: N1

Description: A count of defendants pending as of the last day of the period including long term fugitives
Format: N1

Description: A count of defendants pending as of the last day of the period excluding long term fugitives
Format: N1

Description: The source from which the data were loaded into the AOUSC’s NewSTATS database
Format: A10

Description: A sequential number indicating the iteration of the defendant record
Format: N2

Description: The date the record was loaded into the AOUSC’s NewSTATS database
Format: YYYYMMDD

Description: Statistical year ID label on data file obtained from the AOUSC which represents termination year
Format: YYYY

Data imported from FJC Integrated Database
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