Manchester Man Pleads Guilty To Illegal Possession Of Firearm

          Concord, N.H.— United States Attorney Emily Gray Rice announced that Anthony Pillsbury, 36, of Manchester, New Hampshire, pleaded guilty to a federal indictment charging him with the illegal possession of a firearm in violation of 18 U.S.C. § 922(g)(1).  

          According to the indictment, statements made in court, and other public records in the case, on the morning of July 10, 2015, a Manchester Police officer observed Pillsbury walking on Lowell Street in Manchester.  Mistaking Pillsbury for another individual for whom there was an active warrant, the officer initiated a stop a few moments later to investigate further.  Before the officer could confirm Pillsbury’s true identity, he found in Pillsbury’s back-pocket a Jennings J-22, .22 caliber firearm, with one round in the chamber and one round in the magazine.  Further research revealed that Pillsbury is prohibited from possessing firearms under federal law as a result of a prior felony conviction.  A federal indictment charging Pillsbury with illegal possession of the firearm was returned by a grand jury sitting in Concord on October 21, 2015.

          A sentencing hearing has been scheduled for August 9, 2016, in front of U.S. District Judge Paul Barbadoro.  At that time, Pillsbury’s sentence will be determined by the court following completion of a presentence investigation report by the United States Probation and Pretrial Services Office.  The statutory maximum sentence for the offense is ten years’ imprisonment and a fine of up to $250,000.

          The case was investigated by the Manchester Police Department and the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms & Explosives and is being prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney Charles L. Rombeau.

            ###