PORT ANGELES — A man whose DNA and fingerprints were found after the April 13 FREDS Guns burglary was ordered held in the Clallam County jail on $350,000 bail Tuesday.
Joey A. Maillet, 38, is held in the Clallam County jail for investigation of first-degree burglary, 26 counts of theft of a firearm, theft of a motor vehicle and first-degree malicious mischief. Federal agents also suspect he is linked to another vehicle-involved gun store burglary in Skagit County.
Deputy Prosecuting Attorney Jesse Espinoza asked Superior Court Judge Brent Basden to set bail at $250,000, citing “the brazenness of this particular burglary, of driving through the wall, removing the wall and taking upward of 26 firearms.”
Maillet was arrested Monday while he was at the Snohomish County jail, where he had been booked on a second-degree burglary case unrelated to FREDS Guns, and transferred to Clallam County.
Charges are expected to be filed at 3 p.m. Thursday in Clallam County Superior Court.
The stolen guns have not been found.
“Unfortunately none of them have been recovered,” Espinoza said. “They are floating around who knows where. This is a very serious case and the federal government is interested.”
Basden chose to set bail $100,000 greater than what was requested and said he was concerned about whether Maillet would appear in court on his own due to his extensive criminal history across the country and because he is a Canadian and U.S. citizen.
“He has no known connections to this county which bear on the issue of his willingness to show up,” Basden said. “He appears to travel wildly.”
He has arrests in Washington, Massachusetts, Montana, California, Florida, Missouri, Louisiana and New Hampshire.
Federal court records show that Maillet was cited twice in 2017 for crossing the United States’ northern border illegally, once in Washington and once in Maine.
Basden said that if Maillet does post bail, he will need to appear in court before he is released to discuss electronic home monitoring.
Maillet is transient and Clallam Public Defender Harry Gasnick said if Maillet is released he will stay at Serenity House’s overnight shelter.
Jason Chudy, a spokesperson for the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives, said the U.S. Attorney’s Office will determine whether to prosecute the case in U.S. District Court.
Both burglaries occurred in the federal Western District of Washington.
“We are still consulting with locals and ATF as to whether the case will go federal,” said Department of Justice spokesperson Emily Langlie in an email. “Would expect more info by the end of the week.”
Records
Court records say that surveillance video shows a man driving an agricultural front loader stolen from Leitz Farms through the building on April 13. Video shows the man running into the building, falling into and shattering the gun display case and loading a duffel bag with 26 firearms.
Investigators lifted about 10 latent prints from the scene.
“In the video the suspect can be seen moving his hand throughout the bottom of the case, that is filled with broken shards and pieces of glass, to get to the guns below the glass,” the probable cases affidavit says.
“The suspect can clearly be seen performing this act without wearing gloves.”
The man sustained cuts to his hands and the back of his legs while he was collecting guns and when he fell into the gun case.
The 26 handguns stolen were Glock, Taurel, Walther, Sig Sauer and Berettas, ranging from 9mm to 45 caliber. None of the guns have been recovered.
On May 9 and May 10 investigators had two hits for Maillet’s DNA in a national database.
On May 14 investigators learned that Maillet was in the Whatcom County Jail.
Skagit County burglary
Investigators with the Olympic Peninsula Narcotics Enforcement Team and the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives interviewed Maillet on May 15 and searched a backpack that he had with him when he was arrested.
They found a price tag on a box of ammunition from a store that had been burglarized in Skagit County on May 3.
In that theft, surveillance video shows a man repeatedly backing a truck into a glass window of the store and stealing about 19 guns and ammunition.
Investigators also found a brochure that was attached to one of the rifles that was stolen during the burglary.
“The method of entry at the [FREDS Guns] burglary and the Skagit County burglary are identical, both gun stores had vehicles smash into the buildings to gain access inside,” court records say. “Both had firearms and ammunition stolen.”
Maillet told investigators he did not know why they wanted to talk to him and asked for a lawyer, records say.
Investigators noted that his hands and fingers were extremely rough and had blisters. He also appeared to have healed cuts on his left thumb and index fingers and several small lacerations on the back of his right calf, they said.
Investigators noted that Maillet’s boots matched prints that were found at FREDS Guns and the boots also had cut marks on the toes of the boots.
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Reporter Jesse Major can be reached at 360-452-2345, ext. 56250, or at jmajor@peninsuladailynews.com.