Concord Man Sentenced on Firearm Charge

CONCORD, NEW HAMPSHIRE:   Nicholas Ethier, 36, of Concord, New Hampshire, was sentenced in the United States District Court for the District of New Hampshire for possession of a firearm by a convicted felon in violation of federal law, announced United States Attorney Emily Gray Rice. The Court imposed a term of 37 months’ imprisonment, followed by three years of supervised release. 

During the early morning hours of January 28, 2015, Ethier got into an argument with his neighbor and fired a weapon out the front door of his residence in Concord, New Hampshire. The Bureau of Alcohol Tobacco and Firearms classified the weapon Ethier fired as a .32 caliber machinegun.  No one was harmed in the incident. The Concord Police Department obtained a search warrant for Ethier’s apartment and found ammunition in the residence. Ethier was prohibited from possessing a firearm or ammunition because he was previously convicted of reckless conduct, a felony punishable by imprisonment for a term exceeding one year. 

“The extremely dangerous conduct of the defendant, the discharge of a machinegun in a downtown Concord neighborhood, underscores the importance of ensuring that prohibited persons do not possess firearms,” stated United States Attorney Emily Gray Rice.  “Our office will continue to combat the threat posed when convicted felons possess firearms.”

             This case was investigated by the Concord Police Department and the Bureau of Alcohol Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives.  The case was prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Georgiana L. Konesky.