New Hampshire man indicted on firearm charge in Vermont
Vermont Business Magazine The United States Attorney's Office for the District of Vermont announced today that Ryan Buckley, 35, originally from New Hampshire, was arraigned in the District of Vermont on January 16, 2024 after a federal grand jury sitting in Rutland, Vermont returned a one-count indictment charging Buckley with possessing a firearm after being convicted of a felony. Buckley had been ordered detained in state court as a result of state charges he is facing and assented to detention in this federal case. According to court records, on June 27, 2023, police came upon Buckley passed out in his pickup truck at the community baseball field in Chester, Vermont.
Buckley had a handgun in his lap. Police knocked on his window. Buckley woke up and then picked up the firearm.
Buckley placed the firearm on his lap and put his truck into gear. Police convinced Buckley to open his window and disarmed him without further incident. Buckley admitted to the police that he had smoked methamphetamine recently, having a prior felony conviction, and to knowing that he could not possess firearms.
Buckley consented to a search of his truck and police found a small bag of suspected methamphetamine which field-tested positive. Because Buckley felt his heart racing, he requested medical transport to the hospital and police issued him a citation, but he failed to appear for his court date. Police subsequently arrested Buckley on July 29, 2023 in Lebanon, New Hampshire.
Buckley told police that he had recently stolen a firearm from Cavendish, Vermont and given it to someone else in Mount Holly, Vermont. Buckley said he helped another person move numerous firearms into a storage unit Buckley rented in Killington, Vermont. Buckley said he had met this person while selling them fentanyl during the previous six months.
Police obtained and executed a search warrant for that Killington, Vermont storage unit and recovered, among other items, 19 firearms and 3,240 rounds of ammunition. Buckley's criminal history includes prior felony convictions for grossly negligent operation of a motor vehicle resulting in serious bodily injury, leaving the scene of a crash with serious bodily injury, unlawful trespass of an occupied residence and possession of heroin. If convicted, Buckley could face a maximum statutory penalty of 15 years in prison and a £250,000 fine, although any actual sentence will be advised by the U.S.
Sentencing Guidelines and the United States Code. The United States Attorney's Office emphasizes that an indictment contains allegations only and that Buckley remains presumed innocent unless and until he is convicted of a crime. The case will be prosecuted by Assistant U.S.
Attorneys Jon Ophardt and Colin Owyang. Buckley is represented by Michael Straub, Esq. 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, visit https://www.justice.gov/psn[1]. Source: 1.17.2024.
Burlington, Vermont - United States Attorney's Office for the District of Vermont
References
- ^ https://www.justice.gov/psn (www.justice.gov)