FARMINGTON — The former commander of a Connecticut Veterans of Foreign Wars post has been charged with stealing and selling two rifles that belonged to the post.

The Hartford Courant reports that 45-year-old William Baker, of Farmington, was charged last week with firearms theft.

Police say Baker, who has a valid pistol permit, stole two fully-functional M1 Garand rifles the VFW uses in parades. He sold them to separate gun shops.

The VFW keeps track of the weapons through a sign-out log, but the police report notes that "there did not appear to be a consistent method of accountability for these rifles."

The rifles have been recovered.

Baker is free on $15,000 bond. No defense attorney is listed in court records. Baker told police the guns were not VFW property.