A 55-year-old convicted felon from Ocala was arrested by the Marion County Sheriff’s Office after he was accused of stealing three firearms.
On Monday, an MCSO corporal responded to the Publix located at 9570 SW 62nd Avenue Road in Ocala in reference to a man who possibly had several stolen firearms in his possession. A male reportee had contacted law enforcement to report that one of his employees, identified as Christopher Richard Munroe, had allegedly stolen three firearms while at work earlier in the day.
According to the MCSO report, the reportee’s company provides packing services for customers who plan on moving. The reportee advised that while Munroe was packing various items for a customer, he allegedly stole three of the customer’s firearms.
The reportee advised that he had previously dropped off Munroe at the Publix located on SW 62nd Avenue Road, and he returned to the grocery store to confront Munroe about the firearm thefts. When Munroe refused to speak with the reportee about the incident, law enforcement was contacted.
The MCSO report stated that a deputy, along with a K-9 partner, had responded to the Publix prior to the corporal’s arrival. By the time the corporal arrived at the grocery store, Munroe was already detained in front of the deputy’s patrol car.
The deputy informed the corporal that Munroe had been observed walking along the fence line, and he had crouched down in the nearby bushes when he spotted the deputy. The deputy’s K-9 partner conducted a search of the area, which resulted in Munroe being located and detained.
The corporal noted in the MCSO report that three firearms were recovered, including a Glock 44, a Smith and Wesson M&P .380 Shield, and a Guardian .380.
The corporal also found seven magazines with ammunition. Five of those magazines belonged to the recovered firearms and the remaining two magazines belonged to an unknown 9mm handgun.
According to the MCSO report, Munroe had a blue lunch box which was searched by the corporal. Inside, the corporal located three round white pills that were wrapped in a napkin. These pills were later identified as acetaminophen and oxycodone.
After being read his Miranda rights, Munroe stated that the lunch box and pills belonged to him. He claimed that the pills were “magnesium used for energy,” and he admitted that he did not have a prescription for them.
A criminal record check of Munroe revealed that he is a convicted felon. In 1990, he was convicted of second degree murder in Richmond County, New York, according to the MCSO report.
Munroe was arrested and transported to Marion County Jail where he is currently being held without bond. He is facing felony charges for grand theft of a firearm, possession of a weapon or ammunition by a convicted felon (four counts), and possession of a controlled substance without a prescription.
A court date has not been scheduled yet, according to jail records.