Man arrested for alleged gun thefts

POPLAR BLUFF, Mo. -- A former employee of Rhino's Gun Worx in Poplar Bluff pleaded guilty in federal court Friday to stealing more than 100 guns from the store and reselling them to individuals and pawn shops.

John Franklin Quigley, 37, formally pleaded guilty to possessing stolen firearms and faces up to 10 years in prison, said Assistant U.S. Attorney Keith Sorrell.

The thefts occurred between July 2017 and December 2018 and were discovered after ATF agents visited the store to review its fireworks "acquisition and disposition" records through which the sales of handguns are tracked.

Investigators "determined that a large number of firearms, over 150, were shown as acquired by the store, but were not present in the inventory and were not shown as being sold,'' according to a plea agreement. Investigators found that Quigley "was taking firearms from the Rhino store and selling them to other individuals and local pawn stores,'' the plea agreement continued.

When informed about the plea deal, Ryan Brooks, the owner of Rhino Gun Worx at 953 N. Westwood Blvd., said, "Good."

"Nobody would have ever believed that he would have done that,'' said Brooks, 46, who has known Quigley for about 15 years. "They're still shocked by that. He was such a good person. He was good as gold. You could not not like him."

"After he got arrested, he said, 'For what it's worth, I'm sorry,'" Brooks said. "It wasn't worth anything to me."

ATF agents refused to allow Brooks' to renew his federal firearms licenses after it expired last May. He said he will be able to reapply for a renewal after Quigley's sentencing.

Quigley, who began working at Rhino's in 2016, pocketed the money from the gun sales for himself, according to the plea deal. The store opened in 2014. Brooks also owns Rhino's Truck Accessories at the same address.

Quigley is scheduled to be sentenced May 26th in U.S. District Court Southeastern Division in Cape Girardeau by U.S. District Judge Matthew Schelp.