New Hampshire Man Pleads Guilty To Firearms Charges

          CONCORD, N.H. – Nickolas Oliva, 27, of Dover, New Hampshire, pleaded guilty in United States District Court for the District of New Hampshire to being an unlawful user in possession of a firearm and possession of stolen firearms, announced Acting United States Attorney Donald Feith.

          On December 20, 2013, the Dover Police Department learned that several of Oliva’s grandfather’s firearms were missing.  A subsequent investigation revealed that the defendant had taken several firearms, without the permission of his grandfather and sold the firearms to third parties. Upon speaking with law enforcement, the defendant subsequently admitted that he took the guns from his grandfather's safe, without his permission, and sold them.   The defendant further admitted that he had an addiction to narcotics and that he sold the guns to get money for drugs.  Agents from the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms & Explosives (ATF) were able to recover many of the firearms.

          "The federal firearms laws are designed to ensure that firearms do not fall into the hands of those prohibited from having them," stated Acting United States Attorney Don Feith.  "We will continue to investigate and prosecute those individuals who violate the firearms laws by delivering weapons to prohibited persons.  I want to congratulate the ATF for its excellent work in this case.”

          Oliva faces a maximum sentence of ten years imprisonment.  Oliva is scheduled to be sentenced on November 2, 2015.  Oliva was released pending sentencing.

          The case was investigated by the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms & Explosives and the Dover Police Department and is being prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney Debra M. Walsh.