Police arrest 2nd person in connection with Johnsburg gun theft

A Johnsburg woman remained at the McHenry County Jail on Wednesday evening on charges alleging that she helped steal 18 firearms and several hundreds of dollars in cash.

Police arrested 33-year-old Vanessa McGehee-Stapleton on Tuesday on a warrant that was issued in July. It was not clear why police arrested the woman six months after the June 19 incident.

McGehee-Stapleton is accused of stealing 18 firearms and $800 in cash from another resident at her home in the 1800 block of Grandview Drive, according to a criminal complaint filed in McHenry County court.

Her attorney, Jeffrey Altman, could not be reached for comment Wednesday afternoon.

Officers previously arrested 32-year-old Mitchell Kirksey in connection with the theft. Kirksey, who has been in the county jail since July 20, also reportedly lived at the Grandview Avenue home, court records show.

Both he and McGehee-Stapleton face charges of theft and possession of stolen firearms. The latter charge is a Class X felony typically punishable by as many as
30 years in prison.

The stolen weapons included several .38-caliber and 9 mm semi-automatic pistols as well as revolvers, according to a criminal complaint filed in connection with Kirksey’s arrest.

Kirksey faces additional charges based on a previous conviction that bars him from having firearms, public records show. Both he and McGehee-Stapleton are scheduled for court appearances Thursday.