Lexington Park Felon Pleads Guilty to Stealing 11 Handguns from Tackle Box Gun Store

May 21, 2019

Robert Jacob Eberle, 30, of Lexington Park

UPDATE 5/21/2019: Robert Jacob Eberle, 30, of Lexington Park, Maryland, pleaded guilty to the federal charge of theft of firearms, which Eberle admitted he stole from the Tackle Box Gun Store located at 22000 block of Three Notch Road in Lexington Park.

The guilty plea was announced by United States Attorney for the District of Maryland Robert K. Hur; Special Agent in Charge Rob Cekada of the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives (ATF) Baltimore Field Division; and St. Mary’s County Sheriff Tim Cameron.

As detailed in his plea agreement, Eberle admitted that on July 21, 2018, he stole 11 firearms from the Tackle Box Gun Store in St. Mary’s County. The guns included seven 9mm pistols, two .45-caliber pistols, a .40-caliber pistol, and a .380-caliber pistol. According to his plea agreement, in order to access the firearms, Eberle used a hammer to break through the rear cinderblock wall of the premises, crawled through the hole, broke the glass case containing numerous handguns, and stole the guns.

Eberle admitted that he sold or traded two or more of the stolen firearms to third parties, even though he had reason to believe that those individuals intended to use or dispose of the firearms illegally. Further, Eberle knew that he had a previous felony conviction and was prohibited from possessing firearms.

As part of his plea agreement, Eberle must forfeit all of the guns stolen from the dealer.

Eberle faces a maximum sentence of 10 years in prison for theft of firearms. U.S. District Judge Paula Xinis has scheduled sentencing for August 26, 2019 at 1:00 p.m.

This case is part of Project Safe Neighborhoods (PSN), a program bringing together all levels of law enforcement and the communities they serve to reduce violent crime and make our neighborhoods safer for everyone. Project Safe Neighborhoods (PSN) is the centerpiece of the Department of Justice’s violent crime reduction efforts. PSN is an evidence-based program proven to be effective at reducing violent crime. Through PSN, a broad spectrum of stakeholders work together to identify the most pressing violent crime problems in the community and develop comprehensive solutions to address them. As part of this strategy, PSN focuses enforcement efforts on the most violent offenders and partners with locally based prevention and reentry programs for lasting reductions in crime.

United States Attorney Robert K. Hur commended the ATF and the St. Mary’s County Sheriff’s Office for their work in the investigation. Mr. Hur thanked Assistant U.S. Attorney Joseph Baldwin, who is prosecuting the case.

12/22/2018: On Saturday, July 21, 2018, at approximately 4:30 a.m. Deputies from the St. Mary’s County Sheriff’s Office responded to the Tackle Box Gun Store located at 22000 block of Three Notch Road in Lexington Park, for a burglar alarm activation.

Upon the arrival of police, it was discovered unknown suspect(s) had entered the business and stolen an unknown number of guns, and fled prior to the arrival of law enforcement.

A federal grand jury has indicted Robert Jacob Eberle, 30, of Lexington Park, on federal charges including theft of firearms, possession of stolen firearms, and being a felon in possession of firearms. The indictment was returned on December 10, 2018. Eberle is detained and is scheduled to have his initial appearance in U.S. District Court in Greenbelt on December 28, 2018.

The indictment was announced by United States Attorney for the District of Maryland Robert K. Hur; Special Agent in Charge Rob Cekada of the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives (ATF) Baltimore Field Division; and St. Mary’s County Sheriff Tim Cameron.”.

The indictment alleges that on July 21, 2018, Eberle stole 11 firearms from the Tackle Box Gun Store in St. Mary’s County. The guns included seven 9mm-caliber pistols, two .45-caliber pistols, a .40-caliber pistol, and a .380-caliber pistol. According to the indictment, Eberle had a previous felony conviction and was prohibited from possessing firearms.

If convicted, Eberle faces a maximum sentence of 10 years on each years in prison for each count.

An indictment is not a finding of guilt. An individual charged by indictment is presumed innocent unless and until proven guilty at some later criminal proceedings.

United States Attorney Robert K. Hur commended the ATF and the St. Mary’s County Sheriff’s Office for their work in the investigation. Mr. Hur thanked Assistant U.S. Attorney Ray D. McKenzie, who is prosecuting the case.