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Press Release

Oklahoma Man with Prior Felony Convictions Charged with Unlawful Possession of a Firearm

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

Burlington, Vermont – The Office of the United States Attorney for the District of Vermont announced that Kewon Yarbrough, 37, of Tulsa, Oklahoma, was charged yesterday by criminal complaint for unlawfully possessing a firearm as a convicted felon. Yarbrough was arrested Sunday evening in Rutland, Vermont. Yarbrough appeared yesterday for his initial appearance before United States Magistrate Judge Kevin J. Doyle, and will appear again today for a detention hearing.

According to court records, on March 7, 2023, Yarbrough was involved in a car accident in Rutland County. Yarbrough was the sole occupant of his vehicle at the time of the crash. Yarbrough’s vehicle was towed to an auto shop in Killington after the accident. A person called the auto shop multiple times inquiring about property left in the vehicle. An employee of the auto shop checked the vehicle, and located a Taurus Model G3C 9x19mm semi-automatic pistol in the center console. The auto shop then called the Killington Police Department, who secured the firearm from the auto shop. On March 8, 2023, Yarbrough went to the auto shop looking for his handgun, and became upset when he learned that Killington Police had taken the firearm. Yarbrough thereafter emailed Killington Police asking that his weapon be returned. Yarbrough’s criminal history includes several prior felony convictions in the State of Oklahoma for which he received sentences exceeding one year.

The United States Attorney’s Office emphasizes that a criminal complaint contains allegations only and that Yarbrough remains presumed innocent until and unless he is convicted of a crime. Yarbrough faces a maximum sentence of 15 years of imprisonment if convicted. The actual sentence would be determined with reference to federal sentencing guidelines.

United States Attorney Nikolas P. Kerest commended the investigatory efforts of the Killington Police Department, the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms, and Explosives, and the Vermont State Police.  

The prosecutors are Assistant United States Attorneys Corinne Smith and Jonathan Ophardt.  Yarbrough is represented by the Office of the Federal Public Defender.

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

Contact

Media Inquiries/Public Affairs Officer:

(802) 951-6725

Updated March 14, 2023

Topics
Project Safe Neighborhoods
Firearms Offenses