CHICAGO (AP) — A federal judge on Tuesday sentenced a Chicago street gang member to 10 years behind bars for stealing more than 100 newly minted guns from a Norfolk Southern yard, saying such thefts have contributed to "an epidemic of violence" in the city.

Before sentencing, a prosecutor also described what he said was a little known but active criminal "subculture" where thieves, such as Andrew Shelton, regularly target trains in Chicago, the nation's No. 1 rail hub.

Shelton and seven other gang members slipped with relative ease into the South Side yard on April 12, 2015, to steal the guns, which were en route from New Hampshire's Sturm, Ruger & Co. weapons maker to Gunarama Wholesale in Spokane.

Federal Explosives Licensees

Explosives industry members play an integral role in maintaining and improving our quality of life in the United States and work to bring countless benefits to our everyday lives in areas such as mining, oil and gas exploration; demolition; avalanche control; and the use of explosives in special industrial tools, fire extinguishers, air bag inflators, fireworks; and special effects in the entertainment industry. However, because of the potential misuse of explosive materials, ATF’s role plays a vital role in regulating and educating the explosives industry and in protecting the public from inadequate storage and security.

https://www.atf.gov/explosives