LUBBOCK, TX — A 34-year-old woman has been indicted on federal charges after allegedly stealing a U.S. Marshal’s vehicle containing a government-issued rifle.
A federal grand jury indicted Auntwenette Kinney on a felony count of theft of government property exceeding $1,000, a charge that carries a potential prison sentence of up to 10 years.
The charges stem from an October 1, 2023 incident in which a U.S. Marshal’s vehicle was reported stolen near the 6400 block of Marsha Sharp Freeway. The vehicle, which contained an AR-15 short-barrel rifle in the trunk, was recovered unoccupied about an hour later near 32nd Street and Kewanee Avenue.
Kinney, who has been held at the Lubbock County Detention Center since her arrest that same day, was also previously indicted by a Lubbock County grand jury on state jail felony counts of unauthorized use of a vehicle and theft of a firearm.
She was arrested alongside Shandon Gary, who was later released on a personal recognizance bond. As of now, Gary has not been formally charged.
According to a probable cause affidavit, fingerprints belonging to Gary were found on the stolen vehicle. A witness reported seeing a man matching Gary’s description, dressed in light blue clothing, walking away from the scene. Hours later, Gary and Kinney were found at an apartment nearby. The apartment’s tenant told investigators the pair had left earlier that day and returned in the stolen vehicle.
The woman also mentioned that another man arrived after them with methamphetamine. The affidavit notes uncertainty over whether the missing firearm may have been exchanged for drugs.
During questioning, Gary reportedly said Kinney stole the vehicle and that he was merely a passenger. He denied seeing the rifle and claimed he told Kinney to exit the vehicle upon noticing a U.S. Marshal’s backpack.
Kinney admitted to stealing the car and said she disposed of the keys in a McDonald’s trash can. Authorities recovered the vehicle’s keys but have not located the missing firearm or the lockbox keys.
The investigation remains ongoing.
