September 9, 2009

BRISTOL RESIDENT SENTENCED TO SEVEN YEARS IN PRISON FOR USING A GUN DURING A DRUG TRAFFICKING OFFENSE RELATED TO JUNE 2008 SHOOTING IN DOWNTOWN BRISTOL

The United States Attorney’s Office announced today that on September 8, 2009 Chief Judge William K. Sessions III, sentenced Joseph Bodington, 39, of Bristol, Vermont, to a seven year sentence for his conviction for using a firearm in relation to a drug trafficking offense. Bodington had previously pled guilty to this offense, which is subject to a seven-year mandatory minimum term of imprisonment and up to life imprisonment as well as a fine of up to $250,000. Judge Sessions also sentenced Bodington to three years of supervised release which would follow his completion of the prison sentence. Pursuant to the plea agreement, Bodington also agreed to forfeit five firearms seized from his home and person and $1,500 in currency that was seized from him at the time of his arrest.

U.S. Attorney Tristram Coffin emphasized that this case vividly illustrates the dangerous combination of drugs and guns and stated that such criminal conduct will be vigorously prosecuted by the U.S. Attorney’s Office.

According to court records, on June 20, 2008, at approximately 12:30 A.M., Bristol Police Officer George Crowe heard several gunshots from the Main Street area in downtown Bristol and immediately responded to the scene. Soon thereafter, Officer Crowe intercepted a mini-van driven by Bodington after Bodington turned onto West Street in Bristol. Daniel Grant, also of Bristol, was a passenger in the vehicle. Bodington then started screaming that he had been robbed by a man who then got into the passenger seat of a green Sport Utility Vehicle (SUV).

Bodington later admitted that the unknown perpetrator forcibly took a .22 caliber handgun and a silver case containing $20,000 in cash and 3-4 ounces of cocaine while Bodington was sitting in his mini-van with Grant in the Shaw’s parking lot. Bodington stated that as the person fled he fired several shots from his .40 caliber Glock handgun that shattered the rear window of the green SUV. The Government contends, based on Bodington’s admissions, that for the previous two to three months Bodington bought about 1/4 of a pound of cocaine every two weeks and sold or gave out 1/8 of an ounce of cocaine every day and used up to 1/8 ounce/day. According to the Government, Bodington would regularly leave a handgun out in the open when he sold drugs to deter his customers from stealing from him.

Bristol Police found eight .40 caliber casings in the Shaw’s parking lot. One round had been shot through a white van and lodged in a white Jeep Cherokee parked in the parking lot east of Dan’s Place at 31 Main Street. Another round that was located hit a dumpster behind Dan’s Place and fell to the ground. Law enforcement officials recovered a .40 caliber Glock pistol from Bodington’s van.

This case was initiated as a result of the commendable police work done by the Bristol Police Department. This case was further investigated by the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives with continued assistance from the Bristol Police Department.

This prosecution is part of the U.S. Department of Justice's Project Safe Neighborhood, a nationwide commitment to reduce gun crime in America. Led by the U.S. Attorney's Office and ATF, Project Safe Neighborhood marshals federal, state, and local resources to better locate, apprehend, and prosecute individuals who violate federal gun laws. For more information about Project Safe Neighborhood and Project Safe Vermont, please visit: www.psn.gov

Prosecution of the case was handled by Assistant U.S. Attorney Joseph Perella in Burlington, Vermont. The defendant is represented by Alison Arms of the Federal Public Defender’s Office in Burlington, Vermont.