Two Washington County men have been sentenced to federal prison for stealing firearms from a Hudson Falls gun store and using them in a drug trafficking operation.
Jonathon Combs, 46, of Granville, was sentenced to 61 months in prison, while Martin Taft, 50, of Salem, received 84 months. Both men will also serve three years of supervised release following their prison terms and were ordered to pay $1,000 in restitution.
According to court records, Combs and Taft admitted to breaking into Calamity Jane’s Firearms and Fine Shoes, a federally licensed firearms dealer in Hudson Falls, on October 21, 2022. The pair used a sledgehammer to enter the closed store and stole 31 semi-automatic pistols.
They later traded most of the stolen firearms to Kwahpreme Mitchell in exchange for 150 grams of cocaine, which they intended to distribute. Mitchell was sentenced on January 20 to 106 months in prison, followed by three years of supervised release.
Combs also admitted to stealing a shotgun from the same store on October 15, 2022.
The case highlights the connection between firearm theft and drug trafficking crimes, federal prosecutors said.
