Barre Man Indicted on Firearms Charges

The Office of the United States Attorney for the District of Vermont stated that Demetericius Campbell, age 42, of Barre, Vermont, has been indicted on three federal firearms charges.  Specifically, he is charged with two counts of making false statements to a gun store in connection with attempted firearms purchases, and one count of possessing a firearm while subject to a restraining order.  At his arraignment in U.S. District Court in Burlington last Friday, August 9, 2019, Campbell pleaded not guilty to all counts. The government has filed a motion asking United States Magistrate Judge John M. Conroy to order Campbell detained in the custody of the U.S. Marshal’s Service pending disposition of the charges.  A hearing on that motion is set for Tuesday, August 13, 2019, at 1:30 p.m.
 
Court records show that on December 4, 2018, the Vermont Superior Court in Washington County issued a 6-month extended relief from abuse order against Campbell.  The protected parties were his ex-wife and three children.  Among other things, the order restrained Campbell from threatening, abusing, and using physical force against the petitioning parties.  Campbell was present for the hearing on the petition and was served by hand with the relief from abuse order.  Under federal law, the order prohibited Campbell from possessing firearms and a portion of the paperwork served upon him notified him that certain qualifying restraining orders prohibited him from possessing firearms under federal law.  On December 6, 2018, Campbell attempted to purchase two pistols at R&L Archery in Barre.  On the firearm transaction form, Campbell falsely stated that he was not subject to a restraining order prohibiting him from threatening an intimate partner.  R&L denied him the purchase because the background check revealed the existence of the restraining order.  On January 25, 2019, Campbell attempted to purchase three pistols at R&L, again falsely denying on the transaction paperwork that he was the subject of a restraining order.  R&L denied the purchase for the same reason.  In February 2019, in the course of the execution of a search warrant at Campbell’s residence, law enforcement found a firearm and ammunition in his bedroom.  The restraining order prohibited his possession of these items.
 
The Indictment is an accusation only and Campbell is presumed innocent until and unless proven guilty.  The maximum possible sentence on each federal charge is 10 years of imprisonment.  However, any sentence would be informed by the U.S. Sentencing Guidelines.
 
U.S. Attorney Christina E. Nolan thanked the ATF and the Barre City Police Department for their investigative work and collaboration.  She stated: “We can, and must, use our federal gun laws to address and prevent domestic violence throughout Vermont.  Roughly half of Vermont’s homicides arise in the domestic violence context and a substantial number of them are committed with firearms. We will continue to take guns out of the hands of dangerous individuals who possess or attempt to possess them unlawfully.  This will continue to be an urgent priority, as it is quite literally a matter of life and death.”

U.S. Attorney Nolan is representing the United States in this case.  Campbell is represented by Robert Katims, Esq.