Federal charges have been filed against a 34-year-old-woman accused of stealing a U.S. Marshal’s vehicle, which contained a rifle that was in the trunk.
A federal grand jury on Wednesday returned an indictment against Auntwenette Kinney, charging her with a federal felony count of theft of government property exceeding $1,000, which carries a punishment of up to 10 years in prison.
A Lubbock County grand jury in December also returned an indictment against her charging her with state jail felony counts of unauthorized use of a vehicle and theft of a firearm, according to A-J archives.
Kinney, who has been held at the Lubbock County Detention Center since her Oct. 1 arrest, was one of two people arrested in connection with the case.
Shandon Gary, who was released on a personal recognizance bond, was arrested with Kinney.
At present, formal charges against Gary have not yet been filed.
Investigating theft of a U.S. Marshal’s vehicle, gun
Their arrests stem from an Oct. 1 Lubbock police investigation that began after a U.S. Marshal vehicle was reported stolen near the 6400 block of Marsha Sharp Freeway. The vehicle also contained an AR-15 short-barrel rifle, according to a probable cause affidavit.
The vehicle was found unoccupied about an hour later near the intersection of 32nd Street and Kewanee Avenue.
Investigators found fingerprints on the vehicle that belonged to Gary, whose apartment was within walking distance of where the vehicle was found, the affidavit states.
A witness told investigators a man who matched Gary’s appearance, wearing light blue clothing, was walking away from the vehicle, the affidavit states.
Five hours later, investigators detained Gary after seeing him leaving the apartment dressed in light blue clothing.
Investigators also found Kinney in the apartment. The affidavit states Kinney and Gary were in a relationship and were allowed to stay at the apartment with a woman who was renting the residence.
The woman reportedly told investigators that Gary and Kinney left earlier to go to Target and reportedly returned in the stolen U.S. Marshal’s vehicle. The woman said she never heard any mention of the missing rifle, but said soon after the couple returned, another man arrived in a green SUV and brought methamphetamine to Gary, the affidavit states.
However, the warrant states it was unclear if Gary traded the stolen weapon for the drugs.
Meanwhile, investigators spoke with Gary and Kinney.
Gary reportedly told investigators that Kinney stole the vehicle and he rode in the passenger seat.
“I asked (Gary) where the gun was located in the vehicle,” the investigators wrote in his report. “(Gary) advised he never saw a ‘rifle.'”
Gary reportedly said he told Kinney to leave the vehicle when he saw a backpack with a U.S. Marshal’s patch on it, the affidavit states.
Kinney reportedly admitted to stealing the vehicle, saying she left the keys to the vehicle in a trash can at a McDonald’s.
Authorities later recovered the keys to the vehicle but never found the weapon nor the keys to a lockbox, which were with the car keys.
This article originally appeared on Lubbock Avalanche-Journal: Woman facing federal charge in alleged theft of U.S. Marshal’s vehicle
Reporting by Gabriel Monte, Lubbock Avalanche-Journal / Lubbock Avalanche-Journal
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