Co-conspirator in New Kensington gun shop smash-and-grab sentenced to 20 months
The first of two men to be sentenced for their roles in a January 2024 smash-and-grab at a New Kensington gun store was sentenced to 20 months in federal prison.
U.S. District Judge Nora Barry Fischer handed down the sentence Tuesday, calling on repeat felon Michael Guin, 27, of Lower Burrell to act “more as a grown man.”
Guin has been incarcerated since his arrest last January and received credit for time served, meaning he could be released in seven months.
He pleaded guilty in November to conspiracy, theft of a firearm from a licensed dealer and possession of a firearm by a convicted felon.
His co-conspirator, Steyn Sarduy, 19, of New Kensington, took a plea deal in December, which calls for 2½ years of federal prison time.
The burglary took place in the early morning hours of Jan. 22, 2024, when the men used a pickup truck as a battering ram to break into RC Firearms on Freeport Street.
At first, they smashed the truck into an adjacent garage door — which does not connect to the gun store — before returning a few minutes later to repeat the maneuver on the front entrance.
Once inside, Guin and Sarduy used a hammer to smash display cases and steal two dozen firearms, including 17 9 mm handguns, three .380-caliber handguns and two 12-gauge shotguns.
The pickup, which was stolen from Mold Men of Pittsburgh, was later found on Greenridge Road in New Kensington.
Both men were arrested within two days of the incident.
Sarduy, during his interview with police, said Guin solicited him to participate in the burglary through an Instagram message.
Guin did not address this point Tuesday, but he did take responsibility for his involvement in the heist, telling the court, “I brought myself here through a continuing downward spiral.”
He has prior felony convictions for trespassing, theft and simple assault, which stemmed from a domestic dispute.
His history worked against him when it came to sentencing, Fischer noted, as did a string of recent smash-and-grab burglaries in the Pittsburgh area.
“I need to send a message out to people like that,” she said.
Mirroring the terms of Sarduy’s plea deal, the court ordered Guin pay $1,500 in restitution — $1,000 to RC Firearms and $500 to A-K Valley Auto Glass.
Sarduy will be sentenced March 17 on charges of conspiracy and theft for his role in the gun store burglary.
Jack Troy is a TribLive reporter covering the Freeport Area and Kiski Area school districts and their communities. He also reports on Penn Hills municipal affairs. A Pittsburgh native, he joined the Trib in January 2024 after graduating from the University of Pittsburgh. He can be reached at jtroy@triblive.com.
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