A Missouri man appeared in U.S. District Court in St. Louis Tuesday and pleaded not guilty to charges related to a carjacking and a gun store burglary in Phelps County, Missouri.
Martavious Jones, 19, of Phelps County, was indicted on September 27 on one carjacking charge and a charge of stealing a firearm from a federally licensed dealer. Jones pleaded not guilty Tuesday.
The indictment accuses Jones of stealing a 2013 Nissan Altima on March 1, 2023, in Phelps County, Missouri. It also accuses him of stealing firearms from a Rolla gun store on Sept. 11, 2022.
A motion seeking to have Jones held in jail until trial says two men took four guns, including an AR-style pistol, as well as a large quantity of ammunition and firearm accessories from the store.
The carjacking charge carries a penalty of up to 15 years in prison, a fine of up to $250,000 or both prison and a fine. The stealing charge carries a penalty of up to five years in prison, a $250,000 fine, or both.
The Rolla Police Department and the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives investigated the case. Assistant U.S. Attorney Jennifer Szczucinski is prosecuting the case.
