Feds: Minnesota man stole guns, ammo from shipping facility

ST. PAUL, Minn. (AP) — A man is accused of stealing numerous boxes of guns and ammunition while working at a national shipping company in Minnesota, prosecutors said Monday.

Jason Cikotte, of Isanti, Minnesota, is charged in federal court with possession of stolen firearms. Authorities said the thefts occurred over the course of almost a year at the XPO Logistics facility in Fridley, north of Minneapolis.

Cikotte, 31, appeared in court last week and was released on his promise to appear at future proceedings. He is scheduled for a preliminary hearing on Friday.

An affidavit said that Cikotte worked overnight as a weight inspector and had “little to no” supervision while at work, according to the company’s security manager. He would also have no reason to open the pallets of firearms as part of his job, the manager said.

The manager provided investigators with video evidence allegedly showing Cikotte removing boxes of firearms from shrink-wrapped pallets, removing the firearms from the boxes and carrying the firearms to his vehicle.

A search of Cikotte’s house turned up about 40 guns, tens of thousands of rounds of ammunition and firearm parts and accessories, authorities said.

An email sent to Kirk Anderson, Cikotte’s attorney, came back with an out-of-office reply noting that he would not be available until Thursday. A phone number for Cikotte could not be found.