Felon Sentenced to 4 Years in Prison for the Illegal Possession of a Firearm and Ammunition

CONCORD – A Vermont man was sentenced today in federal court in Concord for the unlawful possession of a firearm and ammunition, First Assistant U.S. Attorney Jay McCormack announces.

Brian Woodburn, 40, was sentenced by U.S. District Court Judge Samantha D. Elliott to 48 months in prison and three years of supervised release.  On May 11, 2023, Woodburn pleaded guilty to being a felon in possession of a firearm and ammunition.

“The defendant’s previous felony conviction took away his right to own a gun,” said First Assistant U.S. Attorney John J. McCormack.  “Our office will continue to enforce the laws that keep dangerous weapons out of the hands of those who are prohibited from having them.”

“Today’s sentence makes it clear that criminals who repeatedly break the law and continue to possess illegal firearms and ammunition, will be held accountable,” said Jodi Cohen, Special Agent in Charge of the FBI Boston Division. “Our Major Offender Task Force and our law enforcement partners are hard at work every day, sharing resources and intelligence with the goal of making our communities safer.”

Woodburn was found passed out in the driver’s seat of a car on a campground in Lancaster, New Hampshire.  He consented to a search of his car, and law enforcement recovered a 9 mm pistol, ammunition, brass knuckles, and drug paraphernalia, including substances that tested positive for suboxone, buprenorphine, and fentanyl.

The Federal Bureau of Investigation and Lancaster Police Department led the investigation.  Assistant U.S. Attorney Alexander S. Chen prosecuted the case.

This case is part of Project Safe Neighborhoods (PSN), a program bringing together all levels of law enforcement and the communities they serve to reduce violent crime and gun violence, and to make our neighborhoods safer for everyone. On May 26, 2021, the Department launched a violent crime reduction strategy strengthening PSN based on these core principles: fostering trust and legitimacy in our communities, supporting community-based organizations that help prevent violence from occurring in the first place, setting focused and strategic enforcement priorities, and measuring the results.

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