Woburn Man Sentenced for Being a Felon in Possession Of Firearm and Ammunition

BOSTON – A Woburn man was sentenced yesterday in federal court in Boston for being a felon in possession of a firearm and ammunition.

Vasily Hardy, 28, was sentenced by U.S. District Court Senior Judge Rya W. Zobel to 15 months in prison and three years of supervised release. In September 2019, Hardy pleaded guilty to one count of being a felon in possession of a firearm and ammunition and has been in custody since his arrest in January 2019. 

On Nov. 14, 2018, a police officer conducted a vehicle stop after observing the driver make multiple traffic violations. The officer was informed over the radio that there was an active warrant for Hardy’s arrest and he was subsequently arrested and his vehicle was searched. During the search, a Sig Sauer, semi-automatic pistol loaded with an eight-round magazine of .45 caliber ammunition as well as a second eight-round magazine were recovered. 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.

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 prosecuted the case.