3 sentenced to federal prison in Bountiful stolen guns case

SALT LAKE CITY — Three people convicted in connection with the theft of over a dozen firearms from a Bountiful store will collectively serve 6½ years in federal prison.

Sateki Lao, 42, pleaded guilty to conspiracy to defraud the U.S. and stealing firearms. He was sentenced Wednesday in U.S. District Court to 24 months in the Federal Bureau of Prisons with credit for time served. After his prison term, he'll be placed on supervised release for three years. Court records also show he's been given permission to visit his children in Missouri before beginning his prison term on Jan. 18, 2023.

Lao's co-defendant and wife, Patsy Lao, 42, pleaded guilty to conspiracy to defraud the U.S., stealing firearms and receiving stolen firearms. She was sentenced Oct. 13 to 18 months in a federal prison, which began Nov. 11, and she was also given credit for time served. Following her prison term, she'll be placed on supervised release for two years.

Sione Pututau, 33, pleaded guilty to conspiracy to defraud the U.S. and stealing firearms. At the time of his arrest, a federal warrant was out for him in connection with a theft of firearms from a different dealer. Pututau was sentenced on April 8 to 36 months in federal prison for both counts in the Bountiful case. His term began June 3, federal court records show, and he'll be on supervised release for 36 months after his release.

All three were jointly ordered to pay $13,294.55 in restitution.

The investigation began on Nov. 1, 2020, when Bountiful police were called to Bountiful Armory, 144 W. 500 South, due to a security alarm breach. Upon arriving, they found the rear door of the building pried open and a destroyed display case inside.

When they investigated security footage, officers saw two males, later identified as Sateki Lao and Pututau, arriving at about 4:35 a.m. The video shows them spending 20 minutes breaching the door using a metal bar and "various other materials" in the area, a police affidavit states.

Inside the building, the video shows Sateki Lao and Pututau using the metal bar to break open a display case, removing 14 handguns and placing them in the bags. They also grabbed two long guns sitting on a rifle rack as they left the building, the affidavit states.

Security footage from a nearby gas station showed two women arriving in a Ford Expedition on Nov. 1, 2020, about the same time as the burglary. One woman was identified as Patsy Lao.

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