Anchorage, Alaska – A man from Anchorage has been sentenced to nine years in federal prison for stealing 22 firearms from a gun store in Anchorage in 2019.
According to court documents, 24-year-old Muna Junior Rhode pleaded guilty in September 2022 to the theft of 22 firearms from Granny’s Guns, a federally licensed firearms dealer located in Anchorage. The theft occurred on June 6, 2019, and Rhode committed the crime with three co-conspirators.
Rhode and his co-conspirators used a stolen Chevy Trailblazer to go to Wrightway Auto Carriers in Anchorage. There, they broke into the building and stole license plates, filing cabinets, and a GMC Sierra pickup truck.
They then stole another vehicle and drove it through the front window of Granny’s Guns. They loaded 22 firearms into the back of the GMC truck and fled the scene.
In an attempt to destroy evidence, they later set fire to the stolen GMC Sierra pickup truck and escaped in a black SUV.
Later that same day, officers from the Anchorage Police Department tried to stop Rhode, who was driving the black SUV, and his co-defendants, who were driving another pickup truck. The suspects fired shots into the air and fled at high speeds across Anchorage.
On June 20, 2019, Rhode and two others were captured on video attempting to jump the fence of a tow yard to retrieve one of the stolen guns left in an impounded vehicle.
All four co-conspirators were indicted in October 2020 and subsequently arrested. Rhode is also facing charges in state court.
U.S. Attorney S. Lane Tucker for the District of Alaska stated, “The blatant disregard for public safety and law enforcement exhibited by Rhode and his co-conspirators, both during and after this series of violent crimes, demonstrates that they are a danger to our community and all Alaskans.
We will continue to collaborate closely with local, state, and federal law enforcement agencies to combat violent crime and ensure the safety of our communities.”
Anchorage Police Chief Michael Kerle added, “All of the defendants involved showed a complete lack of concern for the safety of others through their actions in this violent crime spree.
From stealing multiple vehicles to firing shots in public, driving recklessly on our streets, and stealing multiple firearms, it is crucial that they be held accountable for their behavior.
Rhode’s sentencing is a significant part of that. We appreciate the efforts of all the law enforcement partners involved in resolving this case.”
The co-conspirators in this case are Gian Carlo Pangilinan (aka “G”), who pleaded guilty to stealing firearms from a licensed dealer and was sentenced to 10 years’ imprisonment; Kao Chiang Saelee (aka “Robbie”), who pleaded guilty to conspiracy to steal firearms from a licensed dealer and was sentenced to 5 years’ imprisonment; and Hans Mikaele Wells (aka “Mika”), who pleaded guilty to stealing firearms and was sentenced to 9 years’ imprisonment.
The Anchorage Police Department and the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms, and Explosives (ATF) conducted the investigation, and Assistant U.S. Attorney Jennifer Ivers prosecuted the case.
