EPHRATA, Pa. — Two North Carolina men are facing federal charges after allegedly robbing a Lancaster County puppy breeder of five French Bulldog puppies at gunpoint in October 2020.
Christopher Lamont Stimpson, 22, and Wilbert Curtis Trey Artis III, 29, both of Greensboro, are charged with robbery which interferes with state commerce, interstate transportation of stolen goods, and related offenses, according to First Assistant U.S. Attorney Jennifer Arbittier Williams.
The puppies were valued at more than $23,000, Williams said.
Stimpson and Artis allegedly posed as customers in order to steal the puppies at gunpoint from a breeder in Ephrata, prosecutors say.
One of the victims recorded the registration of the defendants’ getaway vehicle, which was traced back to a rental company in Greensboro, North Carolina, according to prosecutors.
According to court documents, a customer of the breeder who had also been interested in purchasing one of the puppies later discovered an Instagram posting which featured a video and a photograph of the puppies, as well as photographs of Stimpson and Artis.
On December 8, 2020, both defendants were arrested by the Greensboro Police Department on the bench warrants which had been issued in the Eastern District of Pennsylvania.
On January 4, during a virtual initial appearance in the Eastern District of Pennsylvania before the United States Magistrate Judge Henry S. Perkin, Stimpson was ordered to home confinement pending trial.
Artis made a virtual initial appearance before Judge Perkin and was ordered to home detention pending trial.
“Robbery at gunpoint is always a severe crime, and in this case the defendants are charged with stealing living creatures at gunpoint – puppies - and transporting them across state lines,” said Williams. “These are serious federal offenses which will be strenuously prosecuted by this office. We are thankful to our partners here in Pennsylvania and in North Carolina for their swift investigation and apprehension of these defendants.”
“This wasn't just some dognapping caper, it was a violent armed robbery that saw the victim menaced at gunpoint,” said Michael J. Driscoll, Special Agent in Charge of the FBI's Philadelphia Division. “We're glad the FBI and our partners could help safely recover the pups, and determined to see the perpetrators held accountable.”
“The quick apprehension of these individuals is a prime example of how well interagency cooperation between municipal and federal law enforcement agencies work,” said Ephrata Police Department Chief John E. Petrick.
If convicted, each defendant faces a maximum possible sentence of 30 years’ in prison and a $500,000 fine.
