Timothy Gabriel, 31, has been sentenced to five years in prison by the United States District Court in Burlington, Vermont. Gabriel pleaded guilty to possessing a firearm as a convicted felon. Senior U.S. District Judge William Sessions III also imposed a three-year supervised release term following his imprisonment. The federal sentence will run concurrently with state sentences Gabriel is currently serving on related and unrelated cases. Gabriel has been detained since his arrest in October 2023.
Court records reveal that a Vermont State Police cruiser was stolen from Rutland on October 17, 2023. A Sig Sauer rifle was forcibly removed from the vehicle's secure locking device before the car was found behind a downtown Rutland business hours later. Surveillance footage showed Timothy Gabriel exiting the cruiser with what appeared to be a rifle. DNA evidence linked him to blood found inside the vehicle.
Gabriel, who has previous felony convictions prohibiting him from firearm possession, was arrested in Burlington on October 18, 2023. He reportedly traded the stolen rifle for drugs; law enforcement later recovered it near Bennington.
Acting United States Attorney Michael P. Drescher praised the joint efforts of Vermont State Police, Rutland Police Department, and FBI investigators.
Federal Public Defender Michael Desautels represents Gabriel while Assistant U.S. Attorney Gregory Waples prosecutes the case.
This prosecution falls under Project Safe Neighborhoods (PSN), an initiative aimed at reducing violent crime and gun violence through community collaboration and strategic enforcement priorities.