Lonny Gravitt, 41, his son Lindsay Gravitt, 22, and Joseph Tanturri, 24, all of Cartersville, have been indicted by a federal grand jury on charges relating to the theft of 40 weapons from Bargain Barn in November 2008.
According to a press release sent from the U.S. Department of Justice, Lonny and Lindsay Gravitt were arraigned on August 18 before United States Magistrate Judge Susan S. Cole at Gainesville. Tanturri, currently in state custody for a previous charge, is expected to be arraigned at a later time.
Lindsay Gravitt was also being held in custody at a local detention center for previous charges at the time of his indictment for the Bargain Barn theft.
According to the U.S. Attorney’s office, “Lonnie turned himself in on the day of arraignment.”
It is unclear at this time where Tanturri and Lindsay Gravitt are being held and what they were being held for at the time of the firearms indictment.
United States Attorney David E. Nahmias said of the case, “Two of these defendants allegedly burglarized the Bargain Barn in the middle of the night and stole 40 guns. The ATF and local law enforcement officers have recovered a number of the stolen weapons and continue to work diligently on the case. But many of the firearms have not yet been recovered, which means that some of the stolen guns may be on the streets, creating a potentially dangerous situation for our community. If convicted,
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these defendants will face significant time in federal prison.”
According to United States Attorney Nahmias, the charges and other information presented in court: On November 8, 2008, at approximately 3:34 a.m. the monitored alarm system at the Bargain Barn alerted a break in. The surveillance video revealed three masked individuals entered the store. The three individuals immediately proceeded to several gun counters, smashed glass cases and took approximately 40 firearms.
All three defendants are charged with receipt, possession, concealment, storage and disposal of the stolen firearms from the Bargain Barn. Lonny Gravitt is also charged with possession of a sawed-off shotgun. Joe Tanturri is also charged with possession of a firearm by a convicted felon.
The charges against Lindsay Gravitt carry a maximum sentence of 15 years in prison and a fine of up to $500,000. The charges against Lonny Gravitt carry a maximum sentence of 20 years in prison and a fine of up to $500,000. The charges against Joseph Tanturri carry a maximum sentence of up to 25 years in prison and a fine of up to $750,000.
Members of the public are reminded that the indictment only contains charges. The defendants are presumed innocent of the charges, and it will be the government’s burden to prove the defendants’ guilt beyond a reasonable doubt at trial.
Special Agent in Charge Gregory Grant of the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives Atlanta Field Division, said of the case, “The reduction of gun violence remains one of the ATF’s highest investigative priorities. Gun thieves play a critical and deadly role in the chain of violence, and ATF places a major emphasis on solving these crimes. Investigative experience has shown that felons, gang members and juveniles are some of the most common customers for stolen guns in the underground economy of our streets. When guns fall into the wrong hands, the potential for their criminal misuse is great. The public should expect nothing less than an aggressive, productive effort that leads to the identification and prosecution of criminals who target businesses that sell firearms.”
The investigation in this case continues. Anyone with information about the theft or the location of the stolen firearms is asked to call the ATF at 1-888-ATF-TIPS.
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