St. Albans, Vermont Man Sentenced to 42 Months for Unlawful Possession of Stolen Firearms

Burlington, Vermont – The United States Attorney’s Office for the District of Vermont stated that on June 20, 2025, Shane Hardy, 46, originally of Bedford-Stuyvesant, New York, but more recently residing in St. Albans, Vermont, was sentenced by United States District Judge Geoffrey W. Crawford to a term of 42 months’ imprisonment to be followed by a 2-year term of supervised release.

According to court records, Hardy has a serious criminal history that includes a conviction for manslaughter in New York State for which he was incarcerated for over a decade. Despite knowing that he was prohibited from possessing firearms, Hardy expressed interest in firearms and then accepted four stolen firearms as payment for a drug debt and a quantity of cocaine in October 2023. After receiving the stolen firearms, Hardy then facilitated transportation of the guns by carrying them into an SUV that had New Jersey license plates.

Acting United States Attorney Michael P. Drescher commended the investigatory efforts of the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives.

This case was prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney Michelle Arra. Hardy was represented by Emily Kenyon and Barclay Johnson of 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 Justice.gov/PSN.