Two Oak Harbor men facing charges for allegedly stealing 14 guns

Two Oak Harbor men are facing a long list of charges for allegedly stealing 14 guns from an Oak Harbor home and then trying to sell them, court documents state.

Police recovered all 14 guns and arrested both suspects.

Herman R. Schoonover, 34, was charged in Island County Superior Court Tuesday with eight counts of unlawful possession of a firearm, eight counts of possession of a stolen firearm, possession of heroin and felony harassment.

Schoonover is being held on $100,000 bail.

His alleged accomplice, 27-year-old Ayron Henshaw, made his preliminary appearance in court Wednesday on gun and burglary charges. He was tearful during much of the hearing.

Prosecutors charged Henshaw Nov. 4 with accomplice to first-degree burglary and nine counts of accomplice to theft of a firearm.

A roommate of the man who owns the guns reported to police Sept. 20 that the apartment was ransacked and firearms were missing from the gun safe. The missing firearms included handguns, shotguns, hunting rifles, an AK-47 and an AR-15.

Two TVs, a computer, electronic devices, sport memorabilia and a bottle of Johnny Walker Blue Label were also taken.

On Oct. 26, an officer at the Burlington Police Department notified Oak Harbor police that Henshaw was arrested with three of the stolen guns. Henshaw allegedly told police he was headed to sell the firearms to someone in Skagit County.

In an interview with Oak Harbor police, Henshaw allegedly confessed that he helped Schoonover load the guns and other stolen goods from the apartment into a vehicle, the report states.

Schoonover told police that he wasn’t involved in the burglary but purchased a couple of the guns, even though he knew they were stolen.

Officers, however, served a search warrant on his home and recovered eight guns, as well as other stolen items.

A 3-year-old child was in the home with the unsecured guns, some of which were loaded, according to police.

In court Wednesday, Chief Criminal Deputy Prosecutor Eric Ohme argued that Henshaw be held on $50,000 bail because of the risk he won’t appear for court hearings.

Henshaw could face as much as 10 years in prison if convicted of the charges.

Ohme said Henshaw admitted to being addicted to heroin; Schoonover was his alleged dealer, the police report states.

Henshaw’s attorney, Margot Carter, asked that he be released on his personal recognizance, saying that he wants to be with his family and has a job prospect.

Superior Court Judge Vickie Churchill set his bail at $25,000.