Five of the 11 firearms taken from a pawn shop in Christiansburg have been recovered.
A Christiansburg teen who was the final defendant in a pawn shop robbery pleaded guilty Thursday in U.S. District Court in Roanoke.
Michael Blake Kaylor, 18, made his plea less than a month after his three fellow defendants admitted their guilt, and just over a week after a judge ordered Kaylor to continue counseling over anti-government and anti-police statements he had made after his arrest.
After pleading guilty to four charges -- conspiracy, stealing firearms, possessing stolen firearms and possessing a gun with an obliterated serial number -- Kaylor could face decades in prison. Sentencing guidelines that will be presented at a hearing set for January will likely recommend something less, however.
Assistant U.S. Attorney Ashley Neese said authorities have recovered only five of the 11 guns taken in the May 2 break-in at Danny's Pawn Shop in Christiansburg.
Summarizing the government's case, Neese said that Kaylor; Brian Daniel Mann, 20; and Andrew Craft Robertson, 19, all of Christiansburg, decided to rob a gun store and settled on Danny's as their target. With Robertson waiting in the car, Kaylor removed the hinges from the store's back door and he and Mann took 11 guns.
They spent the night in Floyd, then returned to Christiansburg, where Kaylor removed serial numbers from some of the weapons.
As part of their plan to sell most of the guns, they contacted Brandon Wayne Bishop, 19, who also lived in Christiansburg. Bishop, who was a convicted felon, bought a 9 mm pistol.
Police quickly heard that Bishop had a gun and tracked the sale back to the others, Neese said after the hearing.
Mann and Robertson pleaded guilty to stealing firearms. Bishop pleaded guilty to possessing a gun after being convicted of a felony. They have not been sentenced.
At a Sept. 8 hearing to review his bond conditions, Kaylor listened as probation officer Sami Cilek read a statement criticizing the government that Kaylor had posted on his Facebook page. Kaylor had joined Facebook groups named "F--- the Montgomery County Police Department," "F--- the DEA," and F--- the Jails," Cilek said.
At the same hearing, William Cunningham, an agent of the U.S. Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives, gave U.S. Magistrate Judge Michael Urbanski a copy of a Christiansburg Police Department promotional poster that Kaylor had in his bedroom. A swastika had been drawn on the chief's forehead and various derogatory comments drawn across officers' pictures. "That why I gots the AK-47," was scrawled across a group picture, along with a symbol that looked like cross hairs.
Urbanski said he would let Kaylor remain free pending further hearings but put him on electronic home monitoring, banned him from using the Internet and ordered him to continue psychiatric counseling that he was already undergoing.
Attorney Melissa Friedman, who is representing Kaylor, said her client remains in counseling.
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"But the government (judge and PO) enforcing counseling to modify his viewpoints? What's next, electroshock therapy? Is this the new episode of "One flew over the cookoo's nest"? The first amendment is in danger."
DelMarVa's Premier Source for News, Opinion, Analysis, and Human Interest Contact Publisher Joe Albero at alberobutzo@wmconnect.com or 410-430-5349
6 comments:
Just remember, the 2nd amendment guarantees the other amendment's viability.
I live in Christiansburg. One of the defendants in the case lives down the street from me. The neighborhood has been under police patrol ever since this incident. I am very thankful to the Montgomery County Sheriff's Department and the Christiansburg Police for taking these boys off the street. I do agree with the judge making the defendant receive counseling. From what I read I think the boys were threatening police officers.
I do know one of the boys that was involved in the case and he has been breaking the loaw over and over and has not done really any jail time. I hope he gets what he deserves this time. If he doesn't the police are oblivious and he will do it again.
I know one of the boys involved in the case. He has broken the law many times and hasn't done really any jail time for it. He has gotten off before and here he is doing worse things. If they let him go they are oblivious and he wil do worse things next time. Maybe the law will see it this time....
I know the defendant personally. The fact of trying to make him out to be a anti-government killer is total bull***it. He is a good kid who screwed up. The other two defendants not only told everything they knew but even made up stuff trying to help themselves. The last thing you need to worry about with Kaylor is doing something to a cop or any human being. Whoever the neighbor is in christiansburg, you are sad person. By the way Brian Mann lives across the street from Kaylor so who are you really talking about.
The person commenting who lives in christiansburg needs counseling, not Kaylor. Your probably a pathetic liberal. I bet you are a tree hugger and P.E.T.A. member.
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