3 men sentenced for stealing 75 guns from a Cedar City store

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Three men were sentenced to federal prison for stealing 75 guns from C-A-L Ranch in Cedar City.
The three men were ordered to pay $2,406.11 in restitution to C-A-L Ranch.
One of the defendants still faces state charges for related burglaries.

ST. GEORGE — A third man was sentenced to prison this week for a burglary that resulted in the theft of 75 firearms from a store in Cedar City.

Darrell Glenn DeVoge, 50, of Cedar City, was sentenced to six years in federal prison with three years of probation after pleading guilty to theft of firearms, the U.S. Attorney's Office of Utah announced in a statement. DeVoge is the final defendant of three to be sentenced for the November 2023 burglary at the Cedar City C-A-L Ranch.

Initially, DeVoge was also charged with possession of stolen firearms and being in possession of firearms as a previously convicted felon, but those charges were dropped as part of his plea agreement.

Russell Wesley Gruber, 31, was considered the ringleader in the burglary, according to prosecutors. He was sentenced in July to six years in prison, plus three years of probation.

DeVoge's son, Parker Darrell DeVoge, 21, was sentenced in April to 16 months in prison with three years of probation. The three men were ordered to pay $2,406.11 to C-A-L Ranch in joint restitution.

On Nov. 21, 2023, the three men burglarized C-A-L Ranch while armed with guns supplied by Gruber, which were stolen during prior burglaries by Gruber and Parker DeVoge, court documents state.

"They cut locks on guns and broke several display cases. It was obvious this was a planned act, and that the individuals were familiar with the layout of the store and the gun displays. They targeted specific guns and moved quickly and efficiently. In the space of just a few minutes, they were able to steal approximately 75 guns, including rifles and pistols," according to a police booking affidavit.

A few hours later, on the morning of Nov. 22, Gruber and Parker DeVoge committed a second burglary on the store. In total, the three men stole 75 firearms, ammunition, red dot sights and firearm accessories.

Gruber and Darrell DeVoge then stored the stolen items and shipped them in interstate commerce, court documents state.

Gruber has an extensive history of theft and burglary with multiple prior convictions over the past decade, according to court documents.

After being arrested for the C-A-L Ranch burglary, Gruber was charged in three cases in 5th District Court in December 2023 with a total of three counts of aggravated burglary, a first-degree felony; burglary and 10 counts of theft of a firearm, second-degree felonies; three counts of possession of a weapon by restricted person, two counts of property damage and theft, third-degree felonies; drug possession and reckless endangerment, class A misdemeanors; and illegal discharge of a firearm, a class B misdemeanor.

The criminal case connected to the C-A-L Ranch burglary was dismissed once he was federally indicted.

In the second case, Gruber admitted to stealing 20 guns from a Cedar City home about a month prior to the store theft, court documents state. The charges from the third case were filed when investigators linked Gruber to a laundromat burglary on Dec. 11, 2023, after he used a shotgun that he had stolen from C-A-L Ranch to shoot the lock off a change machine and take money from it, according to court documents.

Court proceedings in both of the criminal cases were continued while the federal case was underway, but hearings are scheduled to resume in September.

Parker DeVoge pleaded guilty in June in 5th District Court to his involvement in the home burglary with Gruber. He was sentenced to one to 15 years in prison for burglary and theft, but his term was suspended and he will serve three years on probation, court documents state.

When searching Gruber's residence for the C-A-L Ranch case, "approximately 30 firearms were found in the home, a good portion of which were firearms that were stolen from C-A-L Ranch," the affidavit states. Police also located methamphetamine and a stolen pink handgun in Laci Joyce Atkinson's office, Gruber's live-in girlfriend.

Atkinson was aware that the burglary was happening, according to a police booking affidavit filed with her arrest. Loaded handguns determined to have been stolen were also found on the floor of her and Gruber's bedroom, where police say young children who lived with them could have easily accessed them.

Atkinson, 26, was booked into the Iron County Jail in January 2024 for investigation of burglary, theft, reckless endangerment, drug possession and possession of drug paraphernalia. Police said there are indications Atkinson was "actively involved" in Gruber's criminal activities.

Atkinson pleaded guilty in April 2024 to obstruction of justice and drug possession, Class A misdemeanors. She was sentenced to a year in jail for both counts, but the terms were suspended and she was ordered to serve 18 months on probation.

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