Bail was set at $100,000 for 19-year-old Dakota Moss from Centralia, Illinois after his arrest in connection with a string of local crimes including burglary and theft of dozens of firearms.
Moss and a 17 year-old accomplice discussed selling the guns to Ferguson protesters.
19 year old Dakota Moss after his arrest
The St. Louis Post-Dispatch reported:
A teen from Centralia, Ill., faces charges in federal court here accusing him of stealing 39 guns with the thought of selling them to Ferguson protesters, according to court documents.
Dakota R. Moss, 19, told investigators that after a store burglary Nov. 29, he and a juvenile accomplice, 17, discussed traveling to Ferguson. They also allegedly had plans to loot Ferguson stores, although local police called it just “big talk.”
The two used a pickup truck stolen from a high school in Centralia to ram security gates of a Buchheit farm and home store, according to an affidavit by Special Agent Adam Ulery of the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives. Centralia is about 60 miles east of St. Louis.
They allegedly made three trips to the store to haul off 29 pistols, nine rifles and a shotgun.
WILY reported on the teens’ extensive crime spree.
It is believed Moss first took a truck from the Monken dealership on West McCord Street and drove to Centralia High School, where he then stole and returned two other trucks, one belonging to Superintendent Chuck Lane and one belonging to the school.
He then reportedly took a third truck that had been left at the school for repairs. It is believed it was the third truck from the school that was used during the burglary of the Buchheit store in the Fairview Park Plaza Shopping Center, where 25 handguns and eight long guns, along with ammunition, were taken.
That truck was ultimately left in the 800 block of South Hickory in Centralia, and was found with license plates stolen from a truck parked at Cooksey Oil at Locust and Rhodes. Trucks at that location were reportedly damaged when someone attempted to enter them.
Moss, and an unidentified 17-year-old male juvenile, of Wamac, were arrested after two others who were taken into custody assisted law enforcement in locating many of the stolen weapons. Those two were ultimately released without charges.
The 17-year-old was allegedly found with two of the stolen guns in his pants when arrested.
