Burlington Man Pleads Guilty to Ammunition Charge

BOSTON - A Burlington man pleaded guilty yesterday in federal court in Boston to illegally possessing 30 pieces of ammunition.

Brendan Sheils, 32, pleaded guilty to one count of being a felon in possession of ammunition. U.S. District Court Judge Leo T. Sorokin scheduled sentencing for March 18, 2019.   

On Feb. 22, 2018, police received information that Sheils was in possession of an Uzi bump stock weapon and that he desired to attack the Burlington Police Department. On Feb. 23, 2018, police executed a search warrant at Sheils’ residence, where they recovered a total of 30 pieces of ammunition, as well as an AR-15 type rifle that was determined to be a “ghost gun,” which is made when an individual buys component parts and then assembles the pieces together.  The rifle was loaded with 28 of the pieces of ammunition.

The firearms charge provides for a sentence of no greater than 10 years in prison, three years of supervised release, and a fine of $250,000. Sentences are imposed by a federal district court judge based on the United States Sentencing Guidelines and other statutory factors.

United States Attorney Andrew E. Lelling; Kelly Brady, Special Agent in Charge of the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives, Boston Field Division, Woburn Police Chief Robert J. Ferullo Jr.; and Burlington Police Chief Michael Kent made the announcement today. Assistant U.S. Attorney Suzanne Sullivan Jacobus of Lelling’s Major Crimes Unit is prosecuting the case.