He survived losing his home in a fire. Now he says thieves stole what little he had left.
What started as a theft report at a storage facility has turned into a sprawling investigation involving a burned-out family home, hundreds of collectible knives, more than a dozen firearms, social media clues, a flea market trail, and a suspect who deputies say was expected to show up the very next morning.
The victim told deputies he rented a storage unit after his home was destroyed in a fire late this past January.
He and his brother placed the belongings they were able to save inside the unit, including firearms, custom-made knives, collectibles, watches, and other valuables. They even opened the family safe to allow the contents to dry after the fire before securing everything inside the storage unit.
Then life took another turn.
The victim underwent spinal surgery and was unable to regularly check on the storage unit for several months.
He told deputies everything appeared to be there during a visit about two weeks earlier.
Then he made a shocking discovery while scrolling through Facebook.
“Those Are My Knives”
The victim told deputies he recognized several of his custom-made knives being displayed online.
He contacted the person who had them, who reportedly said he had purchased the knives from a vendor at a Chesapeake flea market.
That vendor, in turn, reportedly told deputies he had unknowingly purchased the items from another individual and agreed to cooperate with the investigation.
Deputies instructed the victim to stop contacting anyone involved and let law enforcement handle the case.
A Phone Call Changes Everything
Investigators met with the flea market vendor, who voluntarily returned several of the knives after they were identified by the victim.
While deputies were present, the vendor contacted the man who had allegedly sold him the items.
According to the report, the caller claimed he had additional firearms and knives available and said he needed to sell them quickly.
He allegedly told the vendor the items came from his girlfriend’s late father, who had owned knife businesses, and that he had been asked to help sell the collection.
Deputies became suspicious.
After checking the phone number, investigators determined it allegedly belonged to someone other than the name being used during the transactions.
The vendor later identified a photograph of that individual as the same person he had been meeting at the flea market.
Deputies also learned the man had active warrants and was expected to be selling items at the flea market the following morning.
The investigation remains ongoing.
The List of Missing Property Keeps Growing
The victim told deputies he already knew he was missing:
- Hundreds of collectible knives
- At least a dozen watches
- Seven handguns
- More than a dozen rifles and other long guns
Among the missing firearms were multiple Glock pistols, a Taurus Judge, an FN Five-seveN pistol, several AR-style rifles, a Kriss Vector, an FN PS90, Remington firearms, KelTec rifles, and other collectible weapons.
Investigators say the victim is still compiling serial numbers, photographs, and ownership records, and believes additional items may also be missing.
Deputies also learned someone had apparently entered the storage unit by removing metal from a neighboring unit and accessing it through the shared wall.
Investigators are working to identify who rented the adjoining storage unit and are seeking surveillance footage from the storage facility.
Storage Units Can Be Targets for Organized Thieves
Law enforcement says storage facilities can become attractive targets because valuable property often remains inside for long periods without being checked.
Experts recommend:
- Photograph valuable items before placing them in storage.
- Record serial numbers for firearms, tools, and electronics.
- Visit storage units regularly.
- Choose facilities with surveillance cameras and secure access.
- Report stolen property immediately and avoid confronting suspected sellers yourself.
In this case, a few custom knives spotted online may have been the clue that unraveled a much larger theft involving an entire collection of firearms and family heirlooms.