Press Release
Woburn Man Pleads Guilty to Being a Felon in Possession of Firearm and Ammunition
For Immediate Release
U.S. Attorney's Office, District of Massachusetts
BOSTON – A Woburn man pleaded guilty yesterday in federal court in Boston to being a felon in possession of a firearm and ammunition.
Vasily Hardy, 28, pleaded guilty to one count of being a felon in possession of a firearm and ammunition before U.S. District Court Senior Judge Rya W. Zobel. Sentencing is scheduled for Dec. 12, 2019. Hardy was previously charged by criminal complaint and arrested in January 2019. He has been in custody since his arrest.
According to charging documents, on Nov. 14, 2018, a police officer conducted a vehicle stop after observing the vehicle’s driver make multiple traffic violations. After identifying the driver as Hardy, the officer was informed over the radio that there was an active warrant for Hardy’s arrest. Hardy was subsequently arrested and his vehicle was searched. During the search, the officer recovered a Sig Sauer, semi-automatic pistol loaded with an eight-round magazine of .45 caliber ammunition as well as a second eight-round magazine. During an interview with law enforcement, Hardy confirmed that the handgun belonged to him and that he did not have a license to carry a firearm in Massachusetts. Further investigation revealed that Hardy was prohibited from possessing firearms and ammunition due to a previous conviction of larceny from a person in 2013, which is punishable by more than a year in jail.
The charging statute provides for a sentence of no greater than 10 years in prison, up to three years of supervised release, and a fine of $250,000. Sentences are imposed by a federal district court judge based upon the U.S. Sentencing Guidelines and other statutory factors.
United States Attorney Andrew E. Lelling and Kelly Brady, Special Agent in Charge of the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms & Explosives, Boston Field Division, made the announcement today. Valuable assistance was provided by the Wellesley Police Department, Norfolk County District Attorney’s Office, and the Hillsborough County Attorney’s Office in New Hampshire. Assistant U.S. Attorney Stephen W. Hassink of Lelling’s Narcotics and Money Laundering Unit is prosecuting the case.
Updated September 19, 2019
Topic
Firearms Offenses
Component