Department of Justice
For Immediate Release
Isanti Man Pleads Guilty to Stealing Firearms from Shipments
MINNEAPOLIS – An Isanti man has pleaded guilty to stealing multiple firearms from shipments destined for Federal Firearms Licensee (FFL) businesses, announced U.S. Attorney Andrew M. Luger.
According to court documents, beginning in August 2021, law enforcement began receiving notifications of firearm thefts from shipments to FFLs. The carrier for the firearms shipments was XPO Logistics, a logistics company with facilities in St. Cloud and Fridley. On March 9, 2022, XPO Logistics contacted the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms, and Explosives (ATF) to report an additional 11 firearms were solen from a recent shipment, including one Century Arms model Draco NAK 9 9mm semiautomatic AK pistol and ten Canik model Rival 9mm semiautomatic pistols. ATF agents later obtained surveillance video showing Jason Thomas Cikotte, who was then working as a weight inspector at the company, removing the firearms from pallets.
According to court documents, law enforcement executed a search warrant at Cikotte’s Isanti residence. Inside the house, law enforcement found the 11 stolen firearms, as well as other firearms and accessories. ATF agents determined that Cikotte had stolen a total of 185 firearms.
Cikotte pleaded guilty before Senior U.S. District Judge Ann D. Montgomery to one count of theft of firearms. A sentencing hearing is scheduled for November 17, 2022.
This case is the result of an investigation conducted by the ATF and the Isanti Police Department.
Assistant U.S. Attorney Thomas Calhoun-Lopez is prosecuting the case.
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