WASHINGTON, D.C. — Tyjuan McNeal, 27, pleaded guilty on March 12, 2025, in U.S. District Court to one count of conspiracy to commit firearms trafficking, linked to the December 2023 burglary of 34 firearms from a Maryland pawn shop. The plea was announced by U.S. Attorney Edward R. Martin Jr., ATF Special Agent in Charge Anthony Spotswood of the Washington Field Division, and Metropolitan Police Department Chief Pamela Smith. Sentencing is set for June 17, 2025, before Judge Amy Berman Jackson.
Court documents detail that on December 13, 2023, McNeal and at least four co-conspirators drove from Washington, D.C., to the A&D Pawn Shop, a Federal Firearms Licensee in Glen Burnie, Maryland. McNeal, wearing an ankle monitor wrapped in aluminum foil to evade tracking, joined the group as one co-conspirator used a portable saw to cut locks on a security gate, and another pried open the main door with a crowbar. Inside, they stole an assortment of rifles, shotguns, and pistols, later advertising the firearms for sale on social media. McNeal was arrested on March 22, 2024, with a Glock 29, 10mm pistol, and has remained in custody.
The case also involves co-defendants Vincent Lee Alston, 23, known as “Vedo,” Niquan Odum, 23, known as “Stickz,” and Juwon Markel Anderson, 22, known as “Peezy.” Alston and Odum pleaded guilty on March 6, 2025, with Alston admitting to conspiracy to commit firearms trafficking and Odum to conspiracy to commit theft from a firearms licensee and possession of stolen firearms. Anderson pleaded guilty on March 4 to conspiracy to commit firearms trafficking. The investigation is led by the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms, and Explosives and the Metropolitan Police Department, with support from the ATF Baltimore Field Division, and is prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney Shehzad Akhtar and Special Assistant U.S. Attorney Ryan Lipes.
Vincent Lee Alston has a prior criminal history, notably linked to a May 2023 crime spree in Waldorf, Charles County, as reported by the Southern Maryland Chronicle. On May 21, 2023, Alston, then 21, was among five suspects arrested following a series of car thefts and burglaries. The spree began with the theft of a Dodge Charger from a Waldorf residence, followed by break-ins at multiple homes where firearms, jewelry, and electronics were taken. Alston faced charges including first-degree burglary, theft, and possession of a stolen vehicle, with authorities recovering several stolen items and a loaded handgun from one suspect’s vehicle. His prior involvement in such activities suggests a pattern of criminal behavior, adding context to his recent guilty plea.
The Glen Burnie burglary highlights a growing concern over firearms trafficking, with Maryland seeing a rise in pawn shop thefts. The ATF reported recovering over 1,200 stolen firearms statewide in 2023, many linked to organized groups using social media to distribute weapons. McNeal’s use of an ankle monitor, despite legal restrictions, raises questions about monitoring effectiveness, while the co-conspirators’ coordinated actions point to a planned operation. The case remains under scrutiny as authorities assess broader network connections.
The public is encouraged to report suspicious activity to local law enforcement or anonymously via Crime Solvers lines in affected jurisdictions. The investigation continues as sentencing approaches.
