Four charged in smash-and-grab at Henderson gun store

Federal authorities have charged four reputed gang members in the smash-and-grab burglary at a Henderson gun store last August.

The suspects drove a stolen Ford Crown Victoria through the front entrance of the Lock N' Load gun store in the early morning hours, broke the glass of a display case and stole 21 handguns, according to a criminal complaint filed Wednesday. The suspects left the car at the store and fled in another waiting vehicle.

Victor Williams, 19, Demario Edwards, 22, Frank Freeman, 26, and Daryl Galtney, 24, all of North Las Vegas, were named in the criminal complaint.

All four men have lengthy criminal records, and each faces charges of conspiracy to commit offenses against the United States, dealing in firearms without a license, possession of a stolen firearm and theft from a federal firearms licensee.

Nevada U.S. Attorney Daniel Bogden said authorities have identified the four defendants as members of the Donna Street Crips, a criminal street gang in Las Vegas.

Freeman and Galtney were arrested in the Las Vegas area on Wednesday, and Williams and Edwards are in state custody on unrelated charges, Bogden said.

If convicted, the four defendants face as many as 30 years in prison and a maximum $1 million in fines.

The case is being investigated by the U.S. Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives with aid from the police departments in Las Vegas, Henderson and North Las Vegas.

An undercover operation in April helped ATF agents break open the case, the complaint said. Agents have secret video recordings of one of the defendants discussing the gun store burglary.

Another defendant pointed himself out to an undercover officer in surveillance video of the burglary posted on YouTube, the complaint alleged.

Contact Jeff German at jgerman@reviewjournal.com or 702-380-8135.