Brayden Allen Hemby, 18, who lives south of De Soto, allegedly stole an AR-style rifle from a man who was assaulted by a juvenile. Hemby had videos showing the gun on his phone and ordered an accessory for the rifle, according to court documents.
Hemby has been charged with stealing a firearm, a class D felony punishable by up to seven years in prison. He was arrested on Nov. 5, and was being held on $5,000 bond at the Jefferson County Jail in Hillsboro, court records said.
According to the case’s probable-cause statement, the Jefferson County Sheriff’s Office was called on Oct. 26 to the 13900 block of Hardin Road south of De Soto after the alleged theft. A man told deputies he had been assaulted and his black and chrome AR-style rifle was taken.
Hemby told investigators that someone put the gun under one of his friend’s vehicles. He also said he put the gun in the trunk of a vehicle that he then drove away from the area, but he said the gun was no longer in that vehicle, the report said.
Investigators searched Hemby’s phone, and they allegedly found two videos featuring a gun that appeared to match the description provided by the alleged victim. A woman, who is related to Hemby, also provided a picture of the gun that was similar to the one in the videos, according to the report.
Investigators also examined Hemby’s Google search history, and they allegedly found multiple searches related to the gun between Oct. 26-29. They also found an email that allegedly showed that Hemby purchased a magazine for the gun, the report said.
Sheriff’s Office spokesman Grant Bissell said on Nov. 6 that the gun had not been recovered. He also said no one else had been arrested at that time.