Isanti Man Accused of Stealing Dozens of Guns from Fridley Shipping Business
An image from surveillance video filed in court documents allegedly showing Jason Cikotte stealing firearms from a shipment at XPO Logistics in Fridley.
A 31-year-old Isanti man has been charged after he was allegedly found with around 40 stolen guns and is suspected of stealing them from a Fridley based shipping company over several months.
Jason Thomas Cikotte is charged with one count of possession of stolen firearms and made his initial appearance in U.S. District Court on March 25, 2022.
According to court documents, beginning in August 2021, law enforcement officers were notified of firearm thefts from shipments to Federal Firearms Licensees. The carrier for the firearms shipments was XPO Logistics, a logistics company with facilities in Saint Cloud and Fridley.
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On March 9, 2022, XPO Logistics contacted the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms, and Explosives (ATF) to report an additional 11 firearms were stolen from a recent shipment, including one Century Arms model Draco NAK 9 9mm semiautomatic AK pistol, five Canik model Rival 9mm semiautomatic pistols, and five Canik model Rival 9mm semiautomatic pistols.
The company’s security manager later notified law enforcement that they identified Cikotte as the person responsible for several thefts over the course of almost a year. The security manager provided law enforcement with video evidence (screenshot above) showing Cikotte removing boxes of firearms from shrink-wrapped pallets, removing the firearms from the boxes and carrying the firearms to his vehicle.
According to court documents, law enforcement executed a search warrant at Cikotte’s Isanti residence. Inside the house, officers found approximately 40 firearms, all of which appear to be firearms stolen from XPO Logistics, as well as tens of thousands of rounds of ammunition, and miscellaneous firearms parts and accessories.
Following the search and after being advised of his rights, Cikotte admitted to having stolen the firearms, ammunition, firearms parts and accessories from the Fridley location, court documents said.
A booking photo for Cikotte was not immediately available.
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