$5,000 Reward Offered for Info in Montana Gun Store Theft Case
The Great Falls Police Department shared a post on social media Monday (8/29) regarding a $5,000 reward for information leading to the arrest and conviction of those responsible for the theft of firearms at an Electric City taxidermy and gun store.
The theft occurred on August 18 at Groves Taxidermy and Firearms.
According to the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco and Firearms release (dated 8/29), the theft occurred at 1:30 AM on August 18th, 2022 at 1201 10th Ave S in Great Falls. The Great Falls Police Department responded to the initial call. ATF Industry Operations Investigators have also responded to the theft and are conducting an inventory to determine the exact number of firearms stolen.
$5,000 Reward Offered
The ATF is offering a $2,500 reward, matched by the National Shooting Sports Foundation for a total of $5,000. If you have any information that could be useful to the case, here's who to contact:
- ATF at (888) ATF-TIPS (1-888-283-8477)
- The Great Falls Police Department at (406) 455-8599.
- Information can also be sent to ATFTips@atf.gov(link sends e-mail) or through ATF’s website at www.atf.gov/contact/atftips.
- Tips can be submitted anonymously using the Reportit® app, available from both Google Play and the Apple App store, or by visiting www.reportit.com(link is external).
Gun store theft seems especially brazen.
Most gun shops have solid security and theft deterrent procedures. However, firearms theft at FFL dealers is not as rare as you might think. Active rewards are posted on the ATF website and since June there have been major thefts at gun stores in Phoenix, rural South Dakota, New Mexico, Texas, and Nebraska, including one earlier this summer in Browning, MT.