Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives

Greenbelt, Maryland – A federal grand jury has indicted Robert Jacob Eberle, age 30, of Lexington Park, Maryland, on federal charges including theft of firearms, possession of stolen firearms, and being a felon in possession of firearms. The indictment was returned on December 10, 2018. Eberle is detained and is scheduled to have his initial appearance in U.S. District Court in Greenbelt on December 28, 2018.

 

The indictment was announced by United States Attorney for the District of Maryland Robert K. Hur; Special Agent in Charge Rob Cekada of the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives (ATF) Baltimore Field Division; and St. Mary’s County Sheriff Tim Cameron.

 

The indictment alleges that on July 21, 2018, Eberle stole 11 firearms from a federally licensed firearms dealer in St. Mary’s County, Maryland. The guns included seven 9mm-caliber pistols, two .45-caliber pistols, a .40-caliber pistol, and a .380-caliber pistol. According to the indictment, Eberle had a previous felony conviction and was prohibited from possessing firearms.

 

If convicted, Eberle faces a maximum sentence of 10 years in prison for each count.

 

An indictment is not a finding of guilt. An individual charged by indictment is presumed innocent unless and until proven guilty at some later criminal proceedings.

 

This case is part of Project Safe Neighborhoods (PSN), a program bringing together all levels of law enforcement and the communities they serve to reduce violent crime and make our neighborhoods safer for everyone. Project Safe Neighborhoods (PSN) is the centerpiece of the Department of Justice’s violent crime reduction efforts. PSN is an evidence-based program proven to be effective at reducing violent crime. Through PSN, a broad spectrum of stakeholders work together to identify the most pressing violent crime problems in the community and develop comprehensive solutions to address them. As part of this strategy, PSN focuses enforcement efforts on the most violent offenders and partners with locally based prevention and reentry programs for lasting reductions in crime.

 

United States Attorney Robert K. Hur commended the ATF and the St. Mary’s County Sheriff’s Office for their work in the investigation. Mr. Hur thanked Assistant U.S. Attorney Ray D. McKenzie, who is prosecuting the case.