Man allegedly confesses to coffee shop robbery

A 20-year-old Carson City man allegedly has confessed to the attempted armed robbery of a coffee shop after he was found Wednesday night in possession of stolen guns.

Jermaine Hoffman, 20, is being held in the Carson City Jail on charges of possessing stolen weapons, burglary tools and marijuana, driving under the influence and driving without insurance. He is being held on $100,000 bail. He will appear in court on Feb. 27.

Hoffman is expected to be booked in connection with the Jan. 30 attempted robbery of Carson Coffee. The assailant fired two errant shots at the shop owner before fleeing empty-handed.

Hoffman was arrested Wednesday night after being stopped on Curry Street in a vehicle without plates.

When officers suspected Hoffman of driving under the influence, they asked to search his vehicle and found a duffel bag in the trunk containing masks, bolt cutters, homemade silencers and six of the 19 handguns stolen in the Jan. 29 burglary of the True Value Hardware store on Highway 50 East, said Deputy Dan Ochsenschlager.

During a subsequent search of Hoffman's South Nevada Street home and another address on Fall Street, officers allegedly recovered four more of the stolen handguns.

Chief Deputy Ray Saylo said none of the guns recovered appeared to have been used in the coffee shop robbery.

Saylo said Hoffman also is suspected of being involved in burglaries at Kragen Auto Parts, Carson Tahoe Jewelers and Lifestream Natural Food Store.

Police records indicate that Hoffman, who lists his occupation as "businessman and outlaw" on one of several Myspace pages registered to his name and carrying his picture, has been arrested twice and cited once since 2007 on charges of petty larceny.

He allegedly stole items like gloves and liquor and was found on one occasion to be in possession of a Vicodin pill without a prescription, records reveal.

- Contact reporter F.T. Norton at ftnorton@nevadaappeal.com or 881-1213.