Two men have been sentenced in federal court for separate firearm offenses, according to U.S. Attorney Jane E. Young.
Shelby Theriault, 31, received a sentence of 24 months in federal prison followed by two years of supervised release. In September 2024, Theriault pleaded guilty to possessing an unregistered firearm. As detailed in the plea agreement, Theriault stole a shotgun from a good Samaritan who had provided him shelter and subsequently modified the weapon by sawing it down and defacing its serial number. He failed to register the sawed-off shotgun as required by law. At the time of his arrest in Conway, New Hampshire, Theriault had multiple outstanding warrants from Colorado.
“The defendant not only stole the shotgun from someone who provided him shelter, he sawed the shotgun and obliterated the serial number thus making it harder to detect his crime,” stated U.S. Attorney Jane Young. She emphasized ongoing efforts by New Hampshire law enforcement to prosecute illegal firearm possession as part of community safety initiatives.
Chief Christopher Mattei of the Conway Police Department commended Patrol Officer Joseph Moore for his role in removing a stolen firearm from circulation. “Experience has shown us that stolen firearms are often utilized in the commission of a crime,” Mattei noted, expressing gratitude towards law enforcement partners including ATF and Assistant U.S. Attorney Tiffany Scanlon.
In another case, Michael Brown, 49, was sentenced to 24 months in federal prison with two years of supervised release after pleading guilty to being a prohibited person in possession of ammunition. Brown was found with a loaded magazine during a motor vehicle stop conducted by Nashua Police on November 2, 2023.
“In this case, the defendant, a felon, was prohibited from owning or possessing firearms and ammunition by virtue of a prior drug conviction in Florida,” explained U.S. Attorney Jane E. Young regarding Brown's offense.
James M. Ferguson, Special Agent in Charge of ATF Boston Field Division highlighted that "the illegal possession of ammunition by convicted felons poses a significant threat to the safety of our communities," reinforcing their commitment to enforcing federal firearm laws alongside law enforcement partners.
Both cases were prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney Tiffany Scanlon and are part of Project Safe Neighborhoods (PSN), aimed at reducing violent crime through collaboration between law enforcement and communities.