BRUNSWICK, Ga. – A Glynn County woman has been sentenced to nearly five years in federal prison after pleading guilty to possession of stolen firearms.
Elaina Carter, 38, was sentenced to 57 months followed by three years of supervised release, according to the Department of Justice. She is not eligible for parole.
According to court documents and testimony, Carter stole and pawned numerous items from June 2018 to January 2019, including 37 firearms.
“Elaina Carter could be the poster child for demonstrating that theft is the typical route for firearms making it into the hands of criminals,” U.S. Attorney Bobby Christine for the Southern District of Georgia said in a prepared statement. “It’s fortunate that she sold these stolen guns to licensed dealers, and that vigilant law enforcement officers brought an end to her serial thefts.”
Court documents revealed she was illegally in possession of 46 rifles and shotguns.
“Shotguns and rifles are in high demand right now,” said News4Jax crime and safety analyst Ken Jefferson. “They’re flashy, long and big. They have more range. People want those.”
According to a report from ATF, in 2019 across the US, there were more than 660 rifles and more than 260 shotguns taken during burglaries. The number jumps to more than 3,000 for pistols.
“Thefts of pistols, the number is going to be higher because they are easier to steal. People sometimes get careless with them. When you look at the statistics, the majority of handguns that are stolen are stolen out of an automobile, unsecured or out of a home, unsecured,” Jefferson said.
Records show she has previous convictions on state charges in Glynn County for burglary, theft by receiving, and theft by deception.
The case was investigated by the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives and the Glynn County Police Department.