Worcester Man Pleads Guilty to Being a Felon in Possession of a Firearm and Ammunition

BOSTON – A Worcester man pleaded guilty today to being a felon in possession of a firearm and ammunition.

Nicholas Briggs, 22, pleaded guilty to one count of being a felon in possession of a firearm and ammunition. U.S. District Court Judge Timothy S. Hillman scheduled sentencing for Aug. 30, 2021. Briggs was indicted by a federal grand jury in November 2020.

On July 4, 2020, Briggs was arrested by police for carrying a loaded Glock pistol. Briggs is prohibited from possessing a firearm due to prior convictions punishable by more than one year in prison.

The charging statute provides for a sentence of up to 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.

Acting United States Attorney Nathaniel R. Mendell; Kelly Brady, Special Agent in Charge of the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms & Explosives, Boston Field Division; and Worcester Police Chief Steven M. Sargent made the announcement today. Assistant U.S. Attorney Danial E. Bennett of Mendell’s Worcester Branch Office is prosecuting the case.

This case is part of Project Safe Neighborhoods (PSN), a program bringing together all levels of law enforcement and the communities they serve to reduce violent crime and make our neighborhoods safer for everyone. PSN is part of the Department’s renewed focus on targeting violent criminals, directing all U.S. Attorney’s Offices to work in partnership with federal, state, local, and tribal law enforcement and the local community to develop effective, locally-based strategies to reduce violent crime.