Centralia Man Pleads Guilty to Burglarizing Farm, Stealing Dozens of Guns

A Centralia resident pleaded guilty Wednesday to burglarizing a farm and home supply store and stealing 39 guns.

Nineteen-year-old Dakota Moss faces up to 40 years in prison when he's sentenced on July 31.

US Attorney Stephen Wigginton said the Buchheit of Centralia farm and home supply store was burglarized last November 29. At least 1,000 rounds of ammunition were taken along with the guns. He said the burglary was accomplished using a pickup truck stolen from Centralia High School. Moss and a juvenile accomplice used the stolen truck to ram a locked security gate to make entry onto Buchheit's parking lot, where the suspects then broke out store windows to make entry into the store. The surveillance video established that the initial burglary occurred about 2:40am, but video evidence revealed the two suspects left the scene and returned to steal additional firearms and ammunition on two occasions, making a total of three separate entries into the store by 4am.

Authorities say Moss and the juvenile were armed and intended to sell the stolen weapons, including in Ferguson, Missouri, which was still dealing with unrest at the time of the incident. The affidavit also alleges that the two planned on participating in the ongoing rioting and looting in Ferguson, but the plan didn't materialize.

Centralia police and agents from the ATF identified the suspects soon after the burglary and have recovered 37 of the 39 weapons.

The investigation is being conducted by agents from the US Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives, along with the Centralia Police Department and the Clinton County State's Attorney's office.