PORT ANGELES — A man whose DNA and fingerprints were found in FREDS Guns after the April 13 burglary of the store near Sequim has been charged with stealing an agricultural frontloader, smashing it through the store’s wall and stealing 24 guns.
Joey A. Maillet, 38, who also is suspected in the burglary of a Skagit County gun store, was charged Thursday with first-degree burglary, 24 counts of theft of a firearm, first-degree theft and two counts of first-degree malicious mischief.
Maillet will be arraigned in Clallam County Superior Court at 1:30 p.m. Friday, May 31.
Maillet was arrested Monday while he was at the Snohomish County jail, where he had been booked on a second-degree burglary case unrelated to FREDS Guns. He was then transferred to Clallam County.
Maillet, who has no known ties to Clallam County, remained in the Clallam County jail Thursday in lieu of $350,000 bail. Records say he is a U.S. and Canadian citizen.
Deputy Prosecuting Attorney Jesse Espinoza said Thursday that though a report from the Olympic Peninsula Narcotics Enforcement Team (OPNET) said 26 guns were stolen from the store, the list he was provided has 24 guns.
Espinoza said if information about additional stolen guns is provided to the Prosecuting Attorney’s Office the charges could be amended later.
None of the guns have been recovered.
The brands of handguns stolen were Glock, Taurel, Walther, Sig Sauer and Beretta. The size ranged from 9mm to .45 caliber.
Espinoza said federal prosecutors have not discussed with the Clallam County Prosecuting Attorney’s office the possibility of filing charges in federal court. Federal officials have said the Department of Justice is reviewing the case.
Maillet has arrests in Washington, Massachusetts, Montana, California, Florida, Missouri, Louisiana and New Hampshire.
Federal court records show that Maillet was cited twice in 2017 for crossing the United States’ northern border illegally, once in Washington and once in Maine.
Officials said they are unaware of any felony convictions of Maillet.
Investigators with OPNET and the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives interviewed Maillet on May 15 and searched a backpack that he had with him when he was arrested.
They found a price tag on a box of ammunition from a store that had been burglarized in Skagit County on May 3.
In that theft, surveillance video shows a man repeatedly backing a truck into a glass window of the store and stealing about 19 guns and ammunition.
“The method of entry at the [FREDS Guns] burglary and the Skagit County burglary are identical, both gun stores had vehicles smash into the buildings to gain access inside,” court records say. “Both had firearms and ammunition stolen.”
He has not appeared in court for the Skagit County burglary.
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Reporter Jesse Major can be reached at 360-452-2345, ext. 56250, or at jmajor@peninsula dailynews.com.
