Man admits to Phelps County carjacking, gun store burglary

ST. LOUIS – A Phelps County, Missouri, man appeared in U.S. District Court on Thursday and admitted to a 2023 carjacking and stealing multiple pistols from a gun store in 2022.

Prosecutors with the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Eastern District of Missouri said Martavious Jones, 19, told the court he and another person broke into a Rolla gun store on Sept. 11, 2022, and took four handguns, including an AR-style pistol, as well as a large quantity of ammunition and firearm accessories.

Two of the stolen guns were later found in a bag near Jones’ home.

Jones also told the court that on March 1, 2023, he asked a man for a ride while in Rolla. Once the car got moving, Jones held a knife to the driver’s throat and demanded he turn the vehicle over. He initially took the driver’s phone but said he’d drop it out of the car before driving away.

However, when Jones dropped the victim’s phone out of the car, he also dropped his own phone. When police spotted Jones, he attempted to flee in the car before running away on foot. He left his wallet and the knife behind.

Jones pleaded guilty to carjacking and stealing a firearm from a federally-licensed gun dealer.

Jones will be sentenced on August 21. He faces up to 15 years in federal prison and a $250,000 fine for the carjacking, and up to 10 years and a $250,000 fine for the gun store burglary.

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