BOSTON, April 7, 2014—A former repairman from Dorchester was convicted last week of stealing three handguns and a semiautomatic rifle from a veteran who had stored them in his building’s secure basement, Suffolk County District Attorney Daniel F. Conley said.

After a jury-waived trial, Suffolk Superior Court Judge Frances McIntyre found SEAN REARDON (D.O.B. 3/22/80) guilty of three counts of unlawful possession of a firearm and single counts of unlawful possession of a rifle, unlawful possession of ammunition, breaking and entering in the night time with intent to commit a felony, and larceny over $250. McIntyre found Reardon not guilty of unlawful distribution of firearms and unlawful possession of a high-capacity feeding device.

Assistant District Attorney Helle Sachse, who prosecuted the case at trial, recommended that Reardon serve four years in state prison. McIntyre imposed a total of two and a half years in a house of correction followed by five years of probation. Among the conditions of that probation is an order to pay restitution for the three handguns, which have not yet been recovered.

“We’re pleased that some measure of accountability has been brought in this case, but we’re also mindful that three powerful, stolen handguns are very likely in criminal hands,” Conley said. “I want to commend the investigators and our trial team for seeing this case through, but I also want to urge anyone with information as to these firearms’ whereabouts to contact police.”

Evidence and testimony proved that Reardon stole a DPMS AR-15 rifle and three .45 caliber semiautomatic handguns manufactured by Colt, Springfield Arms, and Heckler and Koch while working as a repairman at a West 4th Street apartment building. The weapons were lawfully owned and properly stored in a locked basement storage unit to which the victim alone had access.

The thefts are believed to have occurred in the fall of 2011, but came to light months later after witnesses reported suspicious activity in the Town of Woburn. Specifically, witnesses saw a man later identified as Reardon appearing nervous as he dug a hole in a wooded area. The man wrapped a large case in trash bags and duct tape, then placed it in the hole and buried it. When the witnesses dug it up, they found it contained a rifle and called police.

Woburn Police responded to the scene and seized the rifle. Using its serial number, they made contact with its registered owner, the victim, who didn’t know it had been stolen. He checked his basement storage unit, learned that the three handguns were also missing, and notified police. Members of a joint Boston Police/ATF task force investigated the case and identified the defendant as a suspect.

Separately, Massachusetts State Police criminalists were able to develop a latent fingerprint on the rifle. That print was individualized to Reardon, who had prior convictions for breaking and entering, receiving stolen property, and assault-related offenses. After he admitted to stealing the firearms, giving them to an unknown person to settle a $700 drug debt, and burying the rifle in Woburn, he was charged with the crimes in September 2012.

Reardon was represented by attorney Richard Lane.

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All defendants are presumed innocent until and unless proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt.