Cairo man pleads guilty in Cape Girardeau County gun store burglary

A Cairo, Illinois, man has pleaded guilty to involvement in a 2020 gun store burglary in Cape Girardeau County and will now see the inside of a federal prison.

Chayce Harrell, 21, was sentenced Tuesday, March 14, by U.S. District Judge Stephen N. Limbaugh Jr. to 42 months in federal prison and ordered to pay $1,700 in restitution. Harrell pleaded guilty to aiding and abetting the theft of firearms from a federally licensed dealer.

According to the plea deal, Harrell and two accomplices broke into JSE Surplus early morning Aug. 7, 2020. The group then gathered multiple firearms from the inventory.

The owner of JSE was staying above the shop at the time because of a recent string of gun store burglaries in the area.

The owner went downstairs armed with a shotgun and opened fire on the burglars while they were still inside. Harrell and his accomplices were able to escape without injury but dropped all but two of the firearms they were carrying.

Harrell wasn't identified as a suspect in the case until almost two years after the investigation began. The case was investigated by the Cape Girardeau County Sheriff's Office. It's being prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney Jack Koester.

Senque S. Bingham — who has been a identified as a co-defendant -- has also been charged for his alleged involvement in the robbery.

The third accomplice was identified by court documents as a juvenile.