BURGLAR FACES TEN YEARS IN PRISON: Robert Eberle busted into Tackle Box Gun Shop and walked away with a dozen guns
GREENBELT, MD. – How many times will the Tackle Box be burglarized with gangs breaking into glass cases and making off with dozens of guns before the Feds wise up and require this gun shop to each night lock up their guns in a safe?
One set of burglars chose the night of the Super Bowl to do a super bowel movement to the back wall of the gun store – a time sure to avoid a fast response from deputies watching the big game.
A federal grand jury has indicted Robert Jacob Eberle, 30, of Lexington Park, Maryland, on federal charges including theft of firearms, possession of stolen firearms, and being a felon in possession of firearms. The indictment was returned on December 10, 2018. Eberle is detained and is scheduled to have his initial appearance in U.S. District Court in Greenbelt on December 28, 2018.
The indictment was announced by United States Attorney for the District of Maryland Robert K. Hur.
The indictment alleges that on July 21, 2018, Eberle stole 11 firearms from THE TACKLE BOX, a federally licensed firearms dealer in St. Mary’s County, Maryland. The guns included seven 9mm-caliber pistols, two .45-caliber pistols, a .40-caliber pistol, and a .380-caliber pistol. According to the indictment, Eberle had a previous felony conviction and was prohibited from possessing firearms.
If convicted, Eberle faces a maximum sentence of 10 years in prison for each count.
NOTE: This case is part of Project Safe Neighborhoods (PSN), a program bringing together all levels of law enforcement and the communities they serve to reduce violent crime and make our neighborhoods safer for everyone. Project Safe Neighborhoods (PSN) is the centerpiece of the Department of Justice’s violent crime reduction efforts. PSN is an evidence-based program proven to be effective at reducing violent crime. Through PSN, a broad spectrum of stakeholders work together to identify the most pressing violent crime problems in the community and develop comprehensive solutions to address them. As part of this strategy, PSN focuses enforcement efforts on the most violent offenders and partners with locally based prevention and reentry programs for lasting reductions in crime.
David Thomas Dillow, 23, of 24955 McIntosh Road, Hollywood, Maryland was arrested for the June 6, 2008, burglary of the Tackle Box store in Lexington Park. At approximately 3 a.m. on June 6, 2008, police responded to an alarm at the store. Maryland State Police Trooper Roby was the first to arrive. He found the front door had been forced open. Troopers and sheriff’s deputies searching the store determined that an undisclosed number of weapons had been removed from a glass case.
Dillow was charged with burglary, theft and property destruction. The arrest was made by detectives from the St. Mary’s County Bureau of Criminal Investigations (BCI).
On Sept. 17, 2010, in a plea deal with St. Mary’s States Attorney Richard Fritz, Dillow entered a guilty plea to second-degree burglary and possessing, selling or disposing of stolen regulated firearms. THE DEAL: Dillow was sentenced to 8 months and six days in prison with all but five days suspended.