Final Co-Conspirator Sentenced in Fairlawn Gun Store Heist
Austin Blake Hixon was sentenced to 86 months in federal prison for his role in the November 2022 break-in at 1st Pawn in Fairlawn, where approximately 15 firearms were stolen and later sold or traded for methamphetamine.
On August 28, 2025, Austin Blake Hixon, 36, of Christiansburg, was sentenced to 86 months in federal prison for his role in a scheme to steal firearms from 1st Pawn in Fairlawn, Virginia. Hixon was the last of five co-conspirators to be sentenced in connection with the November 1, 2022 break-in.
According to court documents, Ronald Perry initiated the burglary, stealing approximately 15 firearms. Perry then divided the stolen guns with Malcom Stanton and Michael Hall. Several of the firearms were later sold or illegally traded for drugs.
Law enforcement traced three of the stolen guns to Hixon's residence. Hixon initially claimed under oath that he had disposed of the firearms in the New River but later admitted to selling or trading them for methamphetamine, resulting in an additional perjury charge.
The other co-conspirators had previously been sentenced: Stanton, Perry, and Justin Cumbee each received 10-year prison sentences, while Hall was sentenced to 27 months.
The multi-agency investigation involved the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives (ATF), U.S. Marshals Service, Radford Police Department, Montgomery County Sheriff's Office, Pulaski County Commonwealth's Attorney's Office, Pulaski County Sheriff's Office, Christiansburg Police Department, Virginia State Police Search and Recovery Team, and the Virginia Department of Wildlife Resources.