Vermont Man Pleads Guilty to Possession of a Firearm by a Prohibited Person

            CONCORD - David Bentley, 29, of Rutland, Vermont pleaded guilty in federal court on Tuesday to possession of a firearm by a convicted felon, United States Attorney Scott W. Murray announced today.

            According to court documents and statements made in court, on November 29, 2018, law enforcement officers conducted a traffic stop of a vehicle driven by Bentley.  He was arrested for operating a vehicle after suspension of his license.  After obtaining a search warrant for the vehicle, officers found a loaded firearm in the backseat.  Bentley is legally prohibited from possessing firearms by virtue of a felony conviction for burglary in 2010. 

            Bentley is scheduled to be sentenced on May 3, 2021.

            “In order to maintain public safety, it is vital to keep guns out of the hands of criminals,” said U.S. Attorney Murray.  “We will continue to work closely with our law enforcement partners to identify and prosecute convicted felons who unlawfully possess guns.”

            This matter was investigated by the Drug Enforcement Administration with assistance from the New Hampshire State Police Mobile Enforcement Team, the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives, New Hampshire Attorney General’s Drug Task Force, Claremont Police Department, Vermont State Police, and the Springfield, Vermont Police Department.  The case is being prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney Anna Krasinski.

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