Felon may get 20 years in Lehi burglary case

A convicted felon from Pleasant Grove faces up to 20 years in federal prison if he is convicted on charges of stealing 26 firearms, including rifles, shotguns and handguns, during burglaries of several Lehi businesses in October.

Police say Ryan Ferguson, 30, used a stolen forklift to break through the wall of a Lehi heating and cooling company on Oct. 2 and lift out a large safe containing the firearms.

A federal grand jury in Salt Lake City indicted Ferguson last week, charging him with possession of firearms by a convicted felon and possession of stolen firearms, according to federal prosecutors.

The forklift was stolen from a Utah Department of Transportation construction site to carry the safe to other locations where tools, cell phones, a computer and car keys were taken, police said.

"Obviously, we're happy that's been resolved the way it has, and we're happy to get those guns off the street," Lehi Police Sgt. Darren Paul said.

Lehi detectives and Sandy police tracked Ferguson to a Sandy home, where they arrested him Oct. 4. The burglar unintentionally aided that search by leaving his cell phone at the burglarized business, Holmes Heating, 701 E. State.

There were three known addresses for the cell phone's owner, so police staked out each location for two days following the burglary.

Ferguson spotted officers when he arrived at his home in Sandy and drove away. Police chased him until he abandoned his car and fled on foot. Police dogs were brought in to assist with the search, which ended with Ferguson being cornered by police and arrested.

Ferguson is in state custody and is expected to be arraigned in the next few weeks. The maximum penalty for being a felon possessing firearms is 10 years for each charge.

The case is being prosecuted as part of Utah Project Safe Neighborhoods, an anti-gun violence partnership between local, state and federal law enforcement agencies.

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Contributing: Associated Press