BOZEMAN — Earlier this month, a suspect was caught on camera stealing multiple firearms from Great Northern Pawn in Bozeman. Now, a reward is being offered for their arrest and conviction.
“Stealing a firearm is one of the worst things you can possibly steal,” said Theron Fountaine.
Fountaine is the owner of Debos Pawn in Bozeman and Belgrade.
“We buy and sell and trade and loan,” he said.
MTN’s Esha Walia spoke with Fountaine about the theft after reaching out to Great Northern Pawn, which declined an interview request.
In the video provided by the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms, and Explosives – ATF –you can see what appears to be a man in the act of trying to steal firearms.
“It’s just unfortunate to see; I wouldn’t wish it on anybody to have something stolen from them like that,” said Fountaine, after watching the video.
Fountaine says Debos Pawn had a similar burglary happen to them a few years ago. He says it took law enforcement about a month to find the suspect.
“It’s something that you constantly worry about,” said Fountaine.
But Fountaine, who grew up in Bozeman and has owned Debos since 2013, says this kind of theft is not surprising to him.
“Crime happens in super small towns and big cities alike,” he said. “I think that there’s obviously an uptick, but that’s just part of an expanding town.”
According to a press release from ATF, the burglary happened around 5:00 a.m. on March 2nd. The suspect entered through a window, cut a cable lock, and stole multiple firearms.
When employees arrived at Great Northern Pawn to open, they found the front glass broken and noticed items were missing, as Bozeman Police Captain Benjamin King said.
“Commercial burglaries happen. We don’t see a lot of them here in Bozeman, but we do see them,” said Captain King.
Captain King says in cases like this, the serial number, which every modern-manufactured firearm has, is a useful component in tracking down the suspect.
“Every time a firearm is transacted through a licensed dealer, those serial numbers are logged and tracked, so it helps us track them down for sure,” he said.
Now, the Bozeman Police is working with the ATF to track down the suspect.
With the incident happening just down the street from Debos Pawn, MTN asked Fountaine what safety measures Debos has in place.
“The first line of defense is obviously just a good security system. Glass break sensors, motion sensors,” said Fountaine. “Locking things up.”
He also says Debos recently put expanded steel on their windows.
As the investigation into the theft at Great Northern Pawn continues, Fountaine says:
“They’re our competitors, but they are also our friends. I wouldn’t wish anything like this on them, that’s for sure.”
ATF and the National Shooting Sports Foundation are offering a reward of up to $5,000 for information leading to the arrest and conviction of the thief.
If you have information about this burglary, contact ATF at 1-888-238-8477 or Bozeman Police at 406-582-2000. Information can also be sent to ATFTips@atf.gov.
