Category: Firearms Theft

Rapid search of NCIC hits leads Washington police to wanted felon

“I was looking for stolen property and made a sudden decision to look at our NCIC hits while I waited for a phone call, and it really paid off. I found a rifle pawned in Kennewick that matched a rifle reported stolen out of Adams County, Washington. This led to identifying the offender, who had several aliases, eight felony warrants out of Nevada and one in Utah. The Adams County, Benton County and Elko County investigations led to locating him in Nebraska. When Nebraska authorities made contact with him, he fled in a vehicle and abandoned it to run on foot. He hid in a national park for several days before surrendering. Stolen firearms were located in the pickup he was driving. And to think, it’s all because I was waiting on a phone call.”

Det. Rick Runge
Kennewick Police
Washington

LeadsOnline helps Ohio police take stolen guns off the streets

“We received an NCIC hit from LeadsOnline for an iPod and a camera that were reported stolen in a burglary. Investigators located the suspect, who confessed to the offense and turned over a firearm also taken from the burglary. The information provided by LeadsOnline not only identified our suspect, but it got a stolen firearm off the streets. Thanks Leads Online!”

Inv. M. Robinson
Clermont County Sheriff’s Office
Ohio

Hit on stolen firearms reveals convicted felon as the suspect

“LeadsOnline, you are the greatest!!! In early February, I was working on cases of weapons stolen in our city where the serial numbers were not reported. I made contact with a victim of a breaking and entering to an auto that occurred back in July. The victim had a $2,000 competition style gun stolen, and he provided the serial number to me. I immediatley did a search on LeadsOnline and showed that the stolen gun was sold in January. I recovered the gun and found out that the person who sold the gun is a convicted felon for drugs and was just been released from parole! Now this case is being handled by the Feds! Thanks LeadsOnline!!”

Det. Jarl Taylor
Charleston Police Department
West Virginia

Five minutes into using LeadsOnline, and we solved a 12-year-old cold case

“While using the 30-day trial period, one of our detectives was simply walking through some of the features and offerings of LeadsOnline as it was his very FIRST login on the system. Within 5 minutes of simply pointing and clicking through some of the user-friendly tabs and features, he discovered a stolen firearm in Jacksonville, Florida from a 2001 case (that’s 12 years ago!). A hold was placed on the firearm. It was ultimately seized, and the owner was notified. LeadsOnline is already paying off, and we have not even officially signed on (yet). Thank you Leads! We are looking forward to a great partnership in the future.”

Lt. Chris Stallings
Putnam County Sheriff’s Office
Florida

Perfect timing and a stolen firearm is recovered in record time

“I received a report of a stolen firearm, and used LeadsOnline to search it. While I was doing this, someone from the LeadsOnline team called to check in and see if there was anything they could help with. I told her that her timing was perfect. She took the time to give me helpful search hints. Well, those helpful search hints paid off, because two days later, when I was at home writing reports late one night, I receive an email from LeadsOnline saying there as a hit on one of my searches. Sure enough, I logged in, and it was the missing firearm! Without YOU and your database this would not have happened. One bad guy down and infinity more to go. Thanks again. God bless you 🙂 and as I always say, Be Safe Out There!”

Capt. Mark Brock
Buchanan County Sheriff’s Office
Missouri

Suspect strikes twice in theft cases

“There were some guns stolen at a residence, and then a month later, a generator was stolen from a deer camp. I checked LeadsOnline and found the generator, and I also found two of the stolen guns from the other burglary, and I was able to make the arrest. It was the same person who committed both crimes. Thanks LeadsOnline!!”

Chief Dep. Pete Richardson
Lafayette County Sheriff’s Office
Arkansas

Best law enforcement tool around

“I have been using LeadsOnline for approximately one year as an Investigator with my Sheriff’s Office. To date, I have recovered approximately $50,000 in stolen property. As recent as last week, I recovered two stolen guns that were taken in separate burglaries. This is the best tool that has been developed for law enforcement in decades.”

Inv. Kevin Collie
Pulaski County Sheriff’s Office
Arkansas

Automated hit from online investigations system locates a stolen shotgun

“I received an NCIC hit for a stolen shotgun from a November 2009 burglary in Greenville, South Carolina. I was able to confirm the shotgun as the correct shotgun from the burglary, and I contacted the shop in Greenville to place a hold on the shotgun. Investigator Perron with Greenville County Sheriff’s Department assisted me in recovering the shotgun, which was turned back to the victim. This has been my first NCIC hit recovery through Leads.”

Det. Phil Tripp
Rock Hill Police Department
South Carolina

Automated reports return hit on gun stolen six years ago

“I received an NCIC Potential Hit on a stolen gun that was pawned at a local gun shop. I was able to verify this was a gun that was stolen in 2007 from Mountain Brook. I seized the gun and returned it to the owner. This would not have been possible without the information from LeadsOnline. Thanks!”

Det. Don Garrett
Mountain Brook Police Department
Alabama

WWII pistol returned to owner 22 years after being stolen

“Back in 1991…yes, 1991, I was in high school at the time, and the Delhi Township Police were running us off the lot of Burger King, when they weren’t busy taking burglary reports. In this report, the victim had several guns stolen from his residence. One of those guns was a Mauser Broomhandle with a wooden holster that also becomes a stock. It is a highly collectible gun and for trivia purposes, also the one Luke Skywalker and Han Solo’s blasters were modeled after. My old police chief was a detective at the time and he was eventually able to make an arrest in the offense. However, despite every effort he was unable to recover the stolen Mauser Broomhandle. More than 20 years later, a gun collector sold the stolen Mauser Broomhandle to a shop/gun dealer in Covington, Kentucky, and we were notified through LeadsOnline. The victim was notified and he did not blink an eye at paying to get back the gun his deceased father brought back with him from World War II. I met the victim at the store, and he literally had tears in his eyes. He was so overwhelmed by his emotions about getting the pistol back. After this much time, he never thought it would be found. As the victim went to write a check for the gun, the store manager said the gun collector came in and paid the money back. Some things in life are worth more than money, like a family heirloom and LeadsOnline.”

Det. Adam Cox
Delhi Township Police Department
Ohio

Stolen handgun recovered in minutes

“Thanks for your quick explanation of how the search works. I located a stolen handgun from 1991 that was just sold to a local business, and that was just within the first 3-4 minutes of being logged in.”

Deputy Roger Hetzel
Crawford County Sheriff’s Office
Ohio

Missing woman proven to be fraud

“I was assigned a case in which a woman had reported being physically assaulted by her live-in boyfriend. When she returned home, she found that her boyfriend had moved out, and he had taken her father’s extensive gun collection with him. She called police out to her residence to report the theft. She advised officers that she and her children would stay with a friend for the night and would follow up with detectives the next day. Since her boyfriend was an ex-convict, and now armed with numerous firearms, she was afraid he would follow up on his threats to kill her. I was unable to reach her for several days after the incident, but I finally received a phone call from worried family members who reported that the day after the assault she dropped her children off at school and never returned to pick them up. The woman had been missing for several days. She did not take her purse, phone, vehicle, or any clothes. Her family advised that her children were her life, and she would never go anywhere without them. The case became a missing/abducted person investigation. After exhausting all leads and checking for months for the missing woman, I attended the LeadsOnline conference in Las Vegas where I learned how to get the most out of the system’s features. When I returned to Texas, I checked the LeadsOnline database and found that the boyfriend had sold a few of the stolen guns. I ran the woman’s information and learned that she had been selling the firearms before the initial theft report. I followed up with the shops in person and found CCTV footage of the pair traveling the country and selling firearms along the way. Now thinking the woman may have left on her own will, I checked some social media online and found a picture with the missing woman in the background, drinking beer and dancing with her boyfriend, several months after abandoning her children at school. LeadsOnline allowed me to clear the missing person case and finally give some answers to her family about what happened to the missing mother. It also later allowed me to show prosecutors that the woman was not an abductee, but a willing participant in her fugitive boyfriend’s criminal activities.”

Det. Dusty Simmons
Haltom City Police Department
Texas

Recovered stolen weapon in first search

“As a brand new detective with my agency, I was set up with a LeadsOnline account. During my tutorial I used my first assigned stolen weapon case and got a hit. This is an amazing asset to law enforcement!”

Det. Jeff Stracener
Hot Springs Police Department
Arkansas

Firearms recovered years after being stolen

“I just recovered a firearm from a 1994 burglary in Pocatello, Idaho. The Leads hit occurred after it was sold to a shop here in Clovis, California. The weapon was recovered and confirmed stolen. The person who sold the weapon said she purchased it from a now deceased friend in 2003 in Idaho. The weapon was returned to its rightful owner in Pocatello.”

Det. Curtis Shurtliff
Clovis Police Department
California

Stolen gun and commercial vacuum cleaner found in first training session

“During our training session we discovered a stolen gun with the first search we did. Everyone in the department is talking about LeadsOnline! Let’s not forget the stolen commercial vacuum cleaner you helped us find! After the training I went in and found another stolen gun from 2010. Whether you realize it or not you helped get “LEADS” on two separate felonies in one afternoon of training. That is not an everyday occurrence around here at least! Pat yourself on the back!”

Det. Sam Cunningham
Sweetwater Police Department
Texas

Eleven guns returned to elderly couple

“I received a case for follow up in reference to 11 stolen firearms. The complainants were able to provide partial serial numbers and descriptions of the firearms. I immediately entered the information I was provided into LeadsOnline. While five of the firearms were recovered locally, the other six were recovered only because the Dallas area businesses and I all used LeadsOnline. A warrant was issued for the convicted felon that burglarized the elderly couple and the property was returned to them, the rightful owners. LeadsOnline provides a great service. I’m so grateful for LeadsOnline.”

Inv. Jessica Halbert
Henderson County Sheriff’s Office
Texas

Stolen firearms recovered

“I received a call from Phenix, Alabama about a residence that was burglarized where several guns were stolen. Unfortunately, he did not have any of the serial numbers for the stolen guns, but I was able to go back to the store where it purchased in Georgia to obtain the serial number. Ten minutes after I obtained the serial number, I ran it on LeadsOnline and found where the shotgun and one of the other stolen guns were sold in Alabama. I then ran the person’s name through LeadsOnline and found the rest of the stolen guns and property at another shop close by. I forwarded the information to the detective working the case who was able to recover all of the property and obtain warrants for the offender. This case would not have been solved without the assistance of LeadsOnline.”

Det. Tim Busby
Catoosa County Sheriff’s Office
Georgia

Firearms recovered from fleeing suspect

“Thanks to LeadsOnline I was able to locate and recover a stolen firearm for one of my victims. The suspect fled arrest and crossed state lines into West Virginia and sold the stolen rifle. Because of LeadsOnline the firearm was recovered and returned to the owner, and the suspect was later located and arrested for the B&E&L into a residence and Larceny of Firearms, along with several other charges.”

Lt. Lee Whitesides
Davie County Sheriff’s Office / CID
North Carolina

Firearm recovered after being stolen over a year ago

“We had a case where a gun was stolen over a year ago. The weapon turned up last month in another county. Thanks to LeadsOnline we recovered the weapon and got a confession. Never give up and don’t give them a break! Thanks Leads!”

Lt. Marion Black
Union County Sheriff’s Office
South Carolina

Stolen gun returned to owner four years after being stolen

“While searching LeadsOnline, I received a hit on a stolen firearm from a burglary in July 2009. The firearm was recovered and returned to the rightful owner. He was very happy to have his rifle back since he thought he would never see it again. This would have never been possible without the great service provided by LeadsOnline. Thanks for making my job easier, and making success stories like this happen every day.”

Inv. Steve Kimbel
Madison County Sheriff’s Office
Georgia

Firearm returned to owner eight years after being stolen

“In 2005 the Juneau County Sheriff’s Office took a theft complaint of three firearms that were stolen. All three guns were entered into NCIC. Eight years later, I did an NCIC Potential Hit search and a gun came back matching one of the guns stolen in 2005. I contacted the businesses in Missouri and located the stolen firearm. The shop shipped the gun to the Sheriff’s Office. I then returned the weapon to the owner. The owner was very happy since the weapon belonged to his grandfather. I wouldn’t have been able to recover this weapon without LeadsOnline. Thank you!”

Det. Shaun Goyette
Juneau County Sheriff’s Office
Wisconsin

Guitars and firearms stolen from famous country singer

“I was assigned a report involving the theft of numerous guitars, memorabilia and firearms from a famous country singer. The following two weeks I identified a suspect and through my investigation, identified approximately $25,000 worth of guitars and firearms sold to various businesses in Missouri and Arkansas. Thanks to LeadsOnline, I returned every guitar stolen and several of the firearms back to the owner. Many of these items were very valuable and one-of-a-kind pieces. With the help of LeadsOnline, I quickly identified, placed holds and recovered these items. Without this system, I likely would not have been able to recover all of the items. The amount of hours dedicated to this investigation was drastically cut due to LeadsOnline. The suspect is currently in custody facing numerous charges. Thank you for this website.”

Det. Daniel Smithson
Branson Police Department
Missouri

Four stolen guns recovered multiple states away

“We have used LeadsOnline for a couple of years now. Using the system, I have recovered several stolen items including a flat screen TV, chainsaws, weed eaters and four stolen guns… some as far away as Texas! It’s a great tool.”

Det. Gary Barton
Reynolds County Sheriff’s Office
Missouri

Missouri police recover stolen guns and solve major cases using LeadsOnline

“LeadsOnline is making me a rock star! I just solved a big case using LeadsOnline involving multiple stolen firearms and unlawful possession of firearms by a felon. While investigating a stolen property case, I discovered the suspect sold several stolen guns to a local shop. The suspect admitted he stole the guns from a family member and sold them. I made contact with the family member, and she could not believe it. The family member pressed charges, and her guns were returned to her. I would not have solved this case if it was not for LeadsOnline! This is the second time within a couple of months I have solved a major case by using LeadsOnline. Thank you for making me look good!”

Det. Tony Perkins
Boone County Sheriff’s Department
Missouri

Convicted felon caught stealing and selling firearms

“LeadsOnline helped me locate a suspect I was investigating for several thefts. He is a convicted felon, and I discovered he pawned a firearm. With this information, I got him thrown back in jail with his probation revoked.”

Officer Sean Rosner
Wentzville Police Department
Missouri

Virginia police locate stolen firearm five hours away with help of LeadsOnline

“Within 20 minutes of receiving the free trial I tracked down a stolen firearm from a case I was working in 2010. It was in a business five hours away. There was never any information connecting the property to the city it was located in, so your product was extremely beneficial in the recovery.”

Sgt. Scott Moye
Giles County Sheriff’s Office
Virginia

Suspect arrested after paying bondsman by selling a stolen gun

“One of our ‘regulars’ received bond for selling a stolen gun (found on LeadsOnline, of course). When he got out of jail, he realized he had no money in his pocket to pay the bondsman. How does he make some quick cash? He sells another stolen gun! LeadsOnline alerted me within three days, and he was quickly back in jail. Thanks for all you do at LeadsOnline! This is the best service for Law Enforcement!”

Det. Keith Quattrocchi
Milledgeville Police Department
Georgia

Kentucky State Police recover stolen firearm in record time

“Kentucky State Police were investigating a residential burglary. There were a few guns stolen along with a custom made gold wolf head pendant. The gold pendant weighed 2 ounces alone and was valued at approximately $4,000. Within hours I located the pendant at a local pawn shop and had a name of a suspect. I have never found a piece of stolen property this fast, and I couldn’t have done it without the help of LeadsOnline!”

CI Anlst. Julia Hicks
Kentucky State Police Post 7
Kentucky

Stolen firearm recovered after burglary

“On the day that I was assigned a burglary, I located one of the weapons reported as stolen and recovered them. More guns out of the hands of a bad guy!”

Det. James Melson
Fort Smith Police Department
Arkansas

LeadsOnline identifies suspects that other programs cannot

“I was working a series of home invasion robberies in our city. All I had to identify one of the suspects was a phone number and a description. I checked our police database; no record. I checked our pay-for-use online nationwide database; no record. I searched the internet, but only got the city for the cell phone subscriber. When I ran the phone number with LeadOnline, it gave me the name of my suspect, and showed he sold one of the items stolen during the robbery! This information helped me to author a search warrant that led to the recovery of several more stolen items well as four guns, two of which were confirmed stolen. Four people total were charged in the robberies, and the suspect I identified through LeadsOnline gave a confession. He received over six years in prison and agreed to testify against the gunman, who is looking at 21+ years. Thanks LeadsOnline!”

Det. Martin Garland
Bremerton Police Department
Washington

LeadsOnline provides the link law enforcement need to get the arrest

“I located and recovered a stolen pistol from a business in Columbia, South Carolina. The pistol was entered by the business, and using a search of the subjects name I was able to link him to the burglary where the gun was stolen.”

Det. Stephen Collins
Lexington County Sheriff’s Department
South Carolina

Medford, Oregon PD recover 375 items of stolen property in six months

“In the first six month of the year, the Medford Police Department has recovered 375 items of stolen property. This rapid recovery of stolen property in Oregon is thanks to LeadsOnline. This recovered property is including 130 tools, 84 boxes of ammo and magazines, 13 guns/scopes, 33 cameras/computers/electronics, 72 items of jewelry/commemorative belt buckles and other items.”

Tom Haynie
Medford Police Department
Oregon

Police recover firearm originally stolen in 2007

“We had an old case from 2007 involving a stolen firearm. Garrison from LeadsOnline notified me a few months ago that there was a possible hit on a serial number that had been entered in our county. I checked and one of the potential hits was a match to a firearm that was from the 2007 report. The firearm had just surfaced at a secondhand dealer a couple towns over from ours. The firearm was recovered and returned to the owner. The owner of the firearm is an elderly gentleman and his health is progressively getting worse. The owner’s wife said it was a real ‘pick me up’ when her husband learned he was getting his firearm back seven years after it was stolen. Thanks LeadsOnline for all you do! ”

Inv. Sgt. Craig Brown
Titus County Sheriff’s Office
Texas

Suspect admits to stealing three firearms when confronted with LeadsOnline evidence

“I was working a case involving larceny of a firearm. While interviewing the suspect, I used LeadsOnline to show he sold a Ruger black powder pistol to a local shop. This Ruger pistol was not reported as stolen, and the suspect had no history and only a traffic violation on his criminal report. The suspect then confessed to stealing not just one, but three firearms from my victim. I only wish ALL secondhand stores were on LeadsOnline. I also hope that, in the future, photos of jewelry will be required to be submitted by our local dealers. Thanks, LeadsOnline, for another case closed!!!”

Det. Matthew Burgess
Lincoln County Sheriff’s Office
North Carolina

LeadsOnline proves successful in returning stolen firearms

“I used LeadsOnline to perform a search for two stolen guns, which led to recovery of those weapons. I performed a name search on a possible suspect to locate the weapons. The weapons have been confiscated for evidence, and the case is now proceeding to prosecution. NO other evidence was found at the crime scene, and only LeadsOnline produced the evidence I needed to name a suspect.”

Det. Matthew Howe
Oakland County Sheriff’s Office
Michigan

Suspect arrested for selling stolen firearms in neighboring jurisdiction

“A residential burglary was committed within our county where two Remington 870 Shotguns were stolen. A LeadsOnline search was conducted, and it revealed that our suspect sold the two shotguns at a business in a town 30 miles away. The guns were recovered, and statements and video from the shop provided added evidence which was used to obtain an arrest warrant for the suspect. He was arrested and is currently awaiting trial for the felony charge of Burglary of a Residence.”

Deputy Sheriff David Blackwell
Franklin County Sheriff’s Office
Mississippi

LeadsOnline saves law enforcement countless man hours

“Using LeadsOnline, I recovered a shotgun that was stolen and sold at a business. This remains to be an awesome program and saves us so much time looking through paper pawn tickets. Thanks!”

Det. Rocky Maestas
Onslow County Sheriff’s Office
North Carolina

Louisiana police recover stolen firearm for one of their own

“While receiving training for the LeadsOnline program, we recovered a stolen firearm that was recently sold. The firearm was reported stolen from a residential burglary in 2011. The victim in the case is an employee of the department and was extremely happy to obtain his firearm back!”

Det. Thomas Wheeler
Tangipahoa Parish Sheriff’s Office
Louisiana

LeadsOnline thinks you’re a Rock Star for catching crooks!

“I am a Sheriff’s Department Auxillary volunteer with the Pima County Sheriff’s Department and am assigned to the Burglary Unit. In that capacity, I am assigned to checking LeadsOnline. Today, I discovered a stolen Ruger using LeadsOnline. I was using the NCIC stolen items report and received a positive hit on an item that had been reported and had recently been pawned. The item has been recovered and the individual was arrested as a result. I always enjoy catching the bad guys and working for a wonderful department. They think I’m a Rock Star.”

Lorrie Smith
Pima County Sheriff’s Department
Arizona

LeadsOnline makes crime victims very happy

“We received a hit using LeadsOnline and recovered a stolen firearm. The owner was VERY happy to have his gun back.”

Det. Matt Maggard
Stone County Sheriff’s Department
Missouri

Several sentimental guns recovered for victimized family in South Carolina

“I was assigned a Larceny report involving several guns that were stolen from my victim. Although the guns have monetary value to them, they were more sentimental because they were inherited from various family members. The victim provided a name of another family member who he thought may have been responsible for the theft of the guns. I checked LeadsOnline and found he sold 10 stolen guns over the course of a three month period. The majority of the guns had already been sold to a second party by then, but the pawn shop was kind enough to contact the current owners, advise them they were stolen, and offer them store credit so they would not be out any money. I was able to recover all of the stolen guns and signed seven felony warrants on the suspect.”

Inv. Christopher Brumlow
Spartanburg County Sheriff’s Office
South Carolina

Stolen firearm from 1986 home burglary recovered in Kentucky

“I was reviewing our NCIC hits and noticed a stolen shotgun was sold in Richmond, Kentucky. The transaction described an Ithaca model 37, 12-gauge shotgun, with a specific serial number. The NCIC listed the original case to Milford Police Department (Michigan). I read the original report which was listed as a home invasion that occurred in 1986 in the Township of Milford. Upon comparing the pawn information against that of a shotgun taken during the incident, I realized they were the same. I contacted the business in Kentucky and requested a hold. I also contacted Richmond PD and an investigator with that department verified the shotgun in the shop was the one stolen in 1986. The shotgun was subsequently recovered. There was no indication the current owner of the shotgun had knowledge of the home invasion.”

Sgt. Scott Tarasiewicz
Milford Police Department
Michigan

Fellow police officer’s stolen firearm returned with the help of LeadsOnline

“I was working a residential burglary case where the victim, who is a police officer, had several firearms stolen. I checked the suspect through LeadsOnline and was able to locate and recover all firearms, which were sold at several different locations. Using LeadsOnline not only helped me develop and confirm my suspect, but it made it very easy to quickly recover the property.”

Det. Jason Smith
Tomball Police Department
Texas

Property recovered after Kentucky State Trooper’s home was burglarized

“A Kentucky State Trooper’s home was burglarized. Several items were taken including his uniform, badge, duty weapons, military medals, military gear, and his duty taser. I searched LeadsOnline every day attempting to find any of the Trooper’s items. A few weeks later, I got a hit through NCIC on his duty taser in another state. This resulted in the arrest of two individuals that we were also able to connect to five other burglaries. I was then able to search their names through LeadsOnline, and this led us to more possible stolen items. Most of the personal property from these burglaries has been returned to the victims including multiple guns, jewelry, and other items. At this time, we are still recovering property and other charges are pending.”

Analyst Christopher Daniels
Kentucky State Police
Kentucky

LeadsOnline helps solve cases without any leads

“I just have to say, LeadsOnline is an essential tool if you are investigating property crimes. To date I have been able to recover stolen property ranging from firearms, jewelry, electronics, and so much more. There have been times in my investigations where there is no physical evidence to go off of, which we all know happens a lot. LeadsOnline has helped me solve cases that otherwise would have never gone anywhere. As soon as I’m assigned a new case, the first thing I do is search the serial number; or description on LeadsOnline. You guys have become such an important asset. Thank you!”

Inv. Cayce Hampton
Henderson County Sheriff’s Office
Texas

LeadsOnline helps close cases from the very first login

“I just started using LeadsOnline yesterday. Today I got a hit on a pistol stolen from a car. I thought this was a really cool process, and I was very excited to have found the item. Thanks!”

Public Safety Support Specialist Jessica Ryder
Pima County Sheriff’s Department
Arizona

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