Salisbury man sentenced to 5 years in federal prison for stealing firearms
A Salisbury man was sentenced to five years in federal prison for possession of stolen firearms in connection with a burglary in Federalsburg, Maryland.
According to his guilty plea, on June 10, 2017, Sanabria burglarized a firearms store in Federalsburg, Maryland. Surveillance video shows that Sanabria entered the store by cutting a hole into an exterior wall. He wore a hoodie and gloves, with a mask partially covering his face, and stole 27 weapons from the Federalsburg firearms store, and left the scene.
Sanabria stole at least 30 weapons total, according to prosecutors. He was not arrested until July 16, 2017, when Nebraska state troopers took him into custody for speeding on a highway in Lincoln County, Nebraska.
Sanabria initially evaded troopers and abandoned his car, but police found him hiding in a nearby park and arrested him.
Police found one of the firearms stolen from the store in Federalsburg – a .40-caliber Glock handgun – directly in front of the driver seat under the floorboard of Sanabria’s car.
Sanabria subsequently waived his rights and admitted that he was driving the car.
On recorded jail calls, Sanabria acknowledged that the firearm was his and that he put the firearm in the car.
Two days later, Maryland investigators executed search warrants at two houses associated with Sanabria.
At his home in Salisbury, investigators found a 20-gauge shotgun, which was stolen during a separate burglary in August 2016. At his parents’ home in Hebron, police found an antique weapon – a Colt black powder gun – that he stole from the Federalsburg gun store during the June 2017 burglary.
Sanabria’s DNA sample matched the DNA profile of blood left at the scene of another burglary of a firearms dealer in November, 2016. During the burglary, Sanabria stole two firearms – a 9 mm Glock pistol and a .22-caliber Ruger pistol.
Although investigators have only found one of those firearms, Sanabria possessed both firearms on the day they were stolen, according to prosecutors.
United States Attorney Robert K. Hur commended the ATF, the Wicomico and Dorchester County Sheriffs’ Offices, and the Salisbury Police Department for their work in the investigation, and thanked the Nebraska State Police for its assistance. Mr. Hur thanked Assistant U.S. Attorney Brandon Moore, who prosecuted the case.
