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Press Release

Boston Man Charged With Being A Felon In Possession Of A Firearm And Ammunition

For Immediate Release
U.S. Attorney's Office, District of Massachusetts

BOSTON – A Boston man was arrested yesterday and charged in federal court in Boston with illegally possessing a firearm and ammunition.

Rahshjeem Benson, 36, was charged with being a felon in possession of a firearm and ammunition. Benson appeared in federal court in Boston today, and was ordered detained pending a detention hearing scheduled for May 31, 2019.

According to court documents, on April 5, 2019, Benson possessed a Charter Arms Bulldog Pug .44 SPL caliber revolver, and five Smith & Wesson .44 caliber SPL cartridges. Due to a prior felony conviction, Benson is prohibited from possessing firearms or ammunition.

 The charge of being a felon in possession of a firearm and ammunition provides for a sentence of no greater than 10 years in prison, up to three years of supervised release, and a fine of up to $250,000. Sentences are imposed by a federal district court judge based on the U.S. Sentencing Guidelines and other statutory factors.

United States Attorney Andrew E. Lelling; Kelly Brady, Special Agent in Charge of the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives, Boston Field Division; and Boston Police Commissioner William Gross made the announcement today. Assistant U.S. Attorney Elianna Nuzum of Lelling’s Major Crimes Unit is prosecuting the case.

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.

The details contained in the charging documents are allegations. The defendant is presumed innocent unless and until proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt in a court of law.

Updated May 24, 2019

Topic
Firearms Offenses