Putnam Man Pleads Guilty to Federal Firearm Charge

Leonard C Boyle, United States Attorney for the District of Connecticut, and James Ferguson, Special Agent in Charge, ATF Boston Field Division, today announced that NICHOLAS SCHNEIDER, 32, of Putnam, waived his right to be indicted and pleaded guilty yesterday before U.S. District Judge Sarah A. L. Merriam in New Haven to unlawful possession of ammunition by a felon.

According to court documents and statements made in court, on June 5, 2020, ATF agents searched a residence in Canterbury where Schneider was living.  In Schneider’s bedroom, investigators located numerous rounds of ammunition, various firearm parts, a firearm kit, and firearm magazines.

Schneider’s criminal history includes state convictions for felony narcotics offenses.  It is a violation of federal law for a person previously convicted of a felony offense to possess a firearm or ammunition that has moved in interstate or foreign commerce.

Schneider was arrested on a federal criminal complaint on December 14, 2020.

Judge Merriam scheduled sentencing for April 6, 2022, at which time Schneider faces a maximum term of imprisonment of 10 years.  Schneider is released on bond pending sentencing.

This matter is being investigated by the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms, and Explosives (ATF) and the Connecticut State Police, with the assistance of the Drug Enforcement Administration.  The case is being prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney Angel M. Krull.

This case is part of Project Safe Neighborhoods (PSN), the centerpiece of the Department of Justice’s violent crime reduction efforts.  PSN is an evidence-based program proven to be effective at reducing violent crime.  Through PSN, a broad spectrum of stakeholders work together to identify the most pressing violent crime problems in the community and develop comprehensive solutions to address them.  As part of this strategy, PSN focuses enforcement efforts on the most violent offenders and partners with locally based prevention and reentry programs for lasting reductions in crime.