Christian Torruellas Held On Firearms Charge

The United States Attorney for the District of Vermont announced that Christian Torruellas, 28, of Newark, New Jersey, appeared in United States District Court in Burlington today on a charge that he possessed a firearm as a convicted felon.  U.S. Magistrate Judge John M. Conroy ordered that Torruellas be held without bail until his next hearing next week.  

According to the criminal complaint that was filed today, the U.S. Marshals Service in Vermont and local law enforcement officers were assisting the Marshals Service in the New York City area in a search for Torruellas, who was a fugitive from justice.  On February 10, officers arrested Torruellas while he was driving in Brattleboro.  They recovered a .38 caliber pistol from the floor of the car next to the driver’s seat. Torruellas is prohibited from possessing firearms because he has a 2016 felony conviction in federal court in New Jersey for possessing firearms as a prohibited person.  When arrested in Vermont, Torruellas was an absconder from his federal supervised release in New Jersey.

The United States Attorney emphasizes that the charge in the complaint is merely an accusation and that the defendant is presumed innocent unless and until he is proven guilty.

If convicted, Torruellas faces up to ten years of imprisonment and a fine of up to $250,000.  The actual sentence would be determined with reference to federal sentencing guidelines.  

Torruellas is represented by Assistant Federal Defender Steven Barth.  The prosecutor is Assistant U.S. Attorney Gregory Waples.