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Press Release

Massachusetts Man Sentenced to 27 Months’ Imprisonment for Unlawful Ammunition Possession

For Immediate Release
U.S. Attorney's Office, District of Vermont

Burlington, Vermont – The United States Attorney’s Office for the District of Vermont stated that on September 11, 2023, Gabriel Lebron, 32, of Florence, Massachusetts, was sentenced by U.S. District Judge William K. Sessions III to a sentence of 27 months’ imprisonment followed by a 3-year term of supervised release. Lebron previously pleaded guilty to unlawful possession of ammunition as a convicted felon.  

According to court records, on October 12, 2022, Lebron was arrested while attempting to flee a residence in Bennington, Vermont, during the execution of a search warrant. Law enforcement recovered from Lebron’s person a privately manufactured firearm, or “ghost gun.” The firearm had a round in the chamber and a fully loaded 15-round magazine. Lebron was also found to be in possession of fentanyl packaged for sale. In 2021, Lebron received multiple felony convictions in Massachusetts for firearms and other weapons offenses, which prohibited him under federal law from possessing the ammunition loaded in the ghost gun seized on October 12, 2022.

United States Attorney Nikolas P. Kerest commended the collaborative investigatory efforts of Homeland Security Investigations and the Bennington Police Department.

This case was prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorneys Jonathan Ophardt and Corinne Smith. Mr. Lebron was represented by Assistant Federal Public Defender Steven Barth.

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 gun violence, and to make our neighborhoods safer for everyone. On May 26, 2021, the Department launched a violent crime reduction strategy strengthening PSN based on these core principles: fostering trust and legitimacy in our communities, supporting community-based organizations that help prevent violence from occurring in the first place, setting focused and strategic enforcement priorities, and measuring the results. For more information about Project Safe Neighborhoods, please visit https://www.justice.gov/psn.

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Media Inquiries/Public Affairs Officer:

(802) 951-6725

Updated September 13, 2023

Topics
Project Safe Neighborhoods
Firearms Offenses