2 suspects charged in burglary of New Kensington gun store

Federal authorities have charged two men in connection with the burglary of a New Kensington gun store last week.

Steyn Sarduy, 18, no address available, confessed to the break-in, according to the U.S. Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives. Authorities identified the second suspect as Michael Guin, 26, who had been living in an apartment on Harrison’s Village Green Drive. Both are charged with federal firearms violations.

Guin and Sarduy used a pickup truck to smash through the door of RC Firearms on Freeport Street on Jan. 22, investigators say. The truck was reported stolen about a half-hour before the burglary from a New Kensington business where Guin had previously worked, the complaint said.

Two dozen guns were stolen from the New Kensington gun store. Authorities said Guin and Sarduy split the weapons evenly between them.

Two of the guns were recovered during a traffic stop in Homestead in which four others were arrested, an ATF spokesman said.

Roy Berg, who owns RC Firearms with his son, Cole, said Wednesday he was confident the burglars would be caught.

“I just hope they get the time for the crime that they committed,” Roy Berg said. “I’ll feel better once they recover all the guns.”

Guin and Sarduy were recorded by surveillance cameras outside and inside RC Firearms, the ATF said in the arrest paper filed against the men.

Before getting into the store, authorities said, Guin and Sarduy used the stolen pickup — driven at high speed in reverse — to smash through a garage door next to the entrance to RC Firearms about 3:30 a.m. Jan. 22. The garage door does not provide access to the gun store, and the pair briefly left the area.

Sarduy was the first to return, authorities said, and was seen checking the locked door to RC Firearms. Both burglars were then seen examining the door. Sarduy was carrying a hammer and, later, a backpack, according to the criminal complaints.

The pickup was seen on camera backing up at high speed into the main door of the store, smashing through it.

Once inside, Sarduy smashed display cases with a hammer while Guin followed and collected handguns from the cases, investigators said. Guin went to the rear showroom and took at least one long gun while Sarduy continued grabbing handguns from the smashed display cases and loading them into a backpack, the complaints state.

Sarduy went into the rear room and used a hammer to smash more cases and take more guns, placing them in the same backpack.

The pair spent about a minute inside the store before fleeing in the pickup, the complaints state. The truck was found around 5 a.m by a resident on Greenridge Road in New Kensington.

A car seen in the same area was identified as belonging to Guin’s girlfriend. Because Guin and Sarduy are associates, Guin became a suspect, the complaint states.

Authorities conducted surveillance at the Village Green Drive apartment the night of Jan. 22, and a federal search warrant was executed the next day.

Guin tried to flee out the back door but was detained at gunpoint by several officers, the complaint states. Guin appeared to have a panic attack and started crying and yelling obscenities.

Guin claimed Sarduy and a relative committed the burglary. Investigators said they do not believe that person was involved because his description was not consistent with the two seen in the store.

Sarduy was arrested Jan. 24 on a warrant for violating probation. During an interview with New Kensington police, Sarduy made a full confession and provided a detailed description of the events before, during and after the burglary of RC Firearms, ATF said in a complaint.

Sarduy identified Guin as the second suspect and said the burglary was Guin’s idea, the complaint states. Sarduy said Guin asked him to participate using Instagram messenger and showed investigators the messages.

Guin’s attorney, Chris Eyster, said his client is scheduled for a detention hearing Thursday. Guin was being held in the Butler County jail, which Eyster said is a federal holding facility.

“We’re going to try to get him released tomorrow,” Eyster said.

Eyster would not comment on the evidence in the case, including Sarduy’s statement that the burglary was Guin’s idea.

Sarduy is being represented by a federal public defender, Gabrielle Lee. She could not immediately be reached for comment.

Sarduy is being detained but the complaints did not say where.

Roy Berg said he and his son will reopen their store Saturday.