Stolen guns are a bit problem. In part, it’s an issue of guns ending up in criminal hands. Another part is, well, it’s taking things from the people they belong to.

So, gun thieves are a problem.

But those thieves have a problem. You see, some are more than willing to cash in on someone else’s misdeeds.

A thief who helped steal at least 76 guns from stores in Westland and Dearborn Heights went over to his friend’s house afterward to show him the weapons, and that friend turned him and his brother in for a $20,000 reward, police said.

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Friend turned in for reward money

Footage from the robberies was shown on the news, and authorities offered a $20,000 reward for information about the people involved.

On Sept. 12, a man went to Westland police and told them that one of his friends was among the robbers. He said he wanted to cooperate with police for reward money, authorities said.

The man told police that his friend, Keondrick Rayford, had come over to his house Sept. 11 wearing the same clothes as one of the robbers at CC Coins Jewelry and Loan. The witness said he saw video from the robbery on the news and recognized Rayford’s clothing.

The man turned over Ring doorbell footage that showed Rayford’s visit, and agents confirmed his identity, they said.

Officials said the witness told them that Rayford had showed him a backpack full of guns.

Now, in fairness, the friend may well have been motivated more about right and wrong than $20,000 in reward money, but no one is going to buy that the reward sure didn’t help.

And I’m fine with it.

Stolen guns represent a huge problem from a gun debate standpoint as well. After all, these guns end up in criminal hands; hands that then use them illegally for whatever crimes they happen to commit. Those criminal actions are then used to justify restrictions on our gun rights.

Never mind that these guns didn’t go through the proper process to leave the store. It doesn’t matter, though, because anti-gun activists never make that distinction.

So yeah, this is good news.

And while I generally oppose the government spending money on, well, anything, a reward for information leading to arrests is a different matter. Particularly when we’re talking about the kind of arrests that may actually reduce so-called gun crime.

As for Rayford, it seems that the next time he tries to knock over a bunch of stores, he won’t show up at his buddy’s house wearing the exact same clothes he was videoed wearing during the heist and showing is ill-gotten loot.

I mean, that degree of stupid should warrant an arrest all on its own.

The fact that the buddy got $20,000 is just a bonus, though I’m curious how much of the reward money from the government will go back to the government in taxes.

In fact, now that I think about it, reward money probably only cost the government about $8 when you factor in how much they’ll get back come April 15th.