FORT IRWIN, Calif. Federal officials say more than two dozen firearms have been stolen from a Southern California military base. The Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives says in a statement Friday that 26 AK-74 assault rifles and one Dragunov sniper rifle were stolen from a supply warehouse at Fort Irwin in San Bernardino County on July 15.
ATF spokesman Special Agent Christian Hoffman says arrests have been made and one rifle has been recovered, but the agency is offering a $10,000 reward for information leading to more arrests.
Hoffman could not say how many arrests have been made, whether those arrested were military or civilian or what a motive may have been.
He referred those questions to military officials. Messages left late Friday for an Army spokesman were not immediately returned.
ATF, Federal Bureau of Investigation and California Department of Justice officers conducted interviews with employees working in the storage warehouse and have recovered one of the weapons. Officers have made some arrests in the case, but did not release the names of the suspects. Investigators have received information that some of the firearms could be in Fresno, according to the ATF.
Investigators are still seeking more information from the public on the case and are offering the $10,000 reward for information leading to the arrest or conviction of the people responsible for the thefts.
Anyone with information on the case is asked to call the ATF Gun Hotline (800) 283-4867 or the Fort Irwin Criminal Investigation Command at (760) 380-5812.
http://www.desertdispatch.com/news/fort-11298-irwin-weapons.html
Poster Comment:
Maybe the ATF sold them to Mexican drug cartels? The fox is guarding the hen-house.