Southbury Man Sentenced to 5 Years in Federal Prison for Illegally Possessing Sawed-Off Shotguns and Silencers

Vanessa Roberts Avery, United States Attorney for the District of Connecticut, today announced that ANTHONY ENGLEHARDT, 44, of Southbury, was sentenced yesterday by U.S. District Judge Omar A. Williams in Hartford to 60 months of imprisonment, followed by three years of supervised release, for unlawfully possessing sawed-off shotguns and silencers.  Judge Williams ordered that Englehardt must serve his first six months of supervised release in home confinement.

According to court documents and statements made in court, shortly before midnight on March 13, 2023, Torrington Police received a report that Englehardt used a rifle and shot a hole in the ceiling of a Torrington residence, and then left the residence.  At the time, Englehardt was subject to a protective order issued by the Waterbury Superior Court that required him to surrender all of his firearms and ammunition.  At approximately 12:30 a.m. on March 14, 2023, Connecticut State Police stopped Englehardt’s vehicle, took him into custody, and charged him with multiple offenses.  Later that day, a search of Englehardt’s Southbury residence revealed 10 firearms, six silencers, more than 1,000 rounds of ammunition, and various firearms parts and accessories.  Three of the firearms were sawed-off shotguns and were not registered pursuant to the National Firearms Act.  The six silencers also were not registered.

Englehardt has been detained since his federal arrest on May 25, 2023.  On April 18, 2024, he pleaded guilty to possession of unregistered National Firearms Act firearms and silencers.

This matter was investigated by the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms, and Explosives (ATF), with the assistance of the Connecticut State Police, Torrington Police Department, and Southbury Police Department.  The case was prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney Katherine E. Boyles.