Thieves ransack veteran-owned paintball company, steal donations meant for charity

FAYETTEVILLE, N.C. (WTVD) -- Thieves stole nearly $1,000 in charity donations in addition to more than $20,000 worth of merchandise during a break-in at Fayetteville's largest paintball supplier.

Black Ops Paintball is a veteran-owned business, and it was collecting donations for AIM Athletics Foundation--a group that offers team building opportunities for wounded veterans of the US military, the underprivileged, and those suffering from injury and disease.

However, those funds were swiped sometime between when Black Ops Paintball closed Monday and reopened Tuesday.

"The first thing I noticed was the cash register on the floor and that was definitely out of place," retired combat veteran and Black Ops Paintball general manager John Maninga said.

Thieves had forced their way into the business and ransacked it, taking more than $20,000 worth of paintball guns, all the cash in the register and even nabbing funds from the charity jar.

"It's disheartening when someone comes into your home or business and they take something that isn't theirs," Maninga said. "Somebody coming in and kind of stepping on that or taking away from the stuff we do for the community, it just makes me angry.

Cumberland County Sheriff's Office is following leads and working to bring the thieves to justice. In the meantime, Maninga has a message for the criminals.

"If you are out there, just turn yourself in or you will get caught, because at the end of the day you always get caught."