Fairbanks man charged with stealing guns from local firearm store

FAIRBANKS, Alaska – A federal grand jury in Alaska returned an indictment charging a Fairbanks man with stealing multiple guns from a local firearm dealer.

According to court documents, on March 10, 2024, Darel Puller, 25, stole 22 firearms from a local gun store in Fairbanks. Twenty-one of those firearms were part of the business inventory, as reflected in count one of the indictment. One firearm belonged to the store’s owner that was not part of the businesses inventory, as reflected in count two of the indictment.

The defendant will make his initial court appearance on a later date before a U.S. Magistrate Judge of the U.S. District Court for the District of Alaska. If convicted, he faces a maximum penalty of 10 years in prison. A federal district court judge will determine any sentence after considering the U.S. Sentencing Guidelines and other statutory factors.

U.S. Attorney S. Lane Tucker of the District of Alaska and Chief Ron Dupee of the Fairbanks Police Department made the announcement.

The Fairbanks Police Department and Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives (ATF) Anchorage Field Office and Seattle Field Division are investigating the case.

Assistant U.S. Attorneys Mac Caille Petursson and Carly Vosacek are prosecuting the case.

An indictment is merely an allegation, and all defendants are presumed innocent until proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt in a court of law.

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