ST ALBANS CITY, Vt. — A Connecticut resident was sentenced to two years in prison Monday after previously pleading guilty to stealing three guns and conspiring to straw-purchase a gun from a federal firearms licensee in St. Albans, Vt., according to a release from the U.S. Department of Justice.
Thirty-three-year-old Meriden resident Jonathan Mitchell will have his prison sentence followed by three years of supervised release.
Prosecutors said that in July 2023, Mitchell gave a co-conspirator $300 to buy a gun for him from the shop in St. Albans. Mitchell was unable to legally purchase or possess the gun because of prior convictions related to an armed kidnapping and home invasion that landed him a 25-year prison sentence.
A straw purchase occurs when an individual agrees to purchase an item for someone who is unable to purchase it themselves. The individual who purchases the item then gives it to the person who is prohibited from having it.
According to prosecutors, the National Instant Criminal Background Check System delayed the transaction. Several days later, Mitchell and a second co-conspirator reportedly returned to the gun shop and stole three firearms from its inventory. Prosecutors said Mitchell was arrested in Connecticut last November.
“Straw purchases and thefts of firearms lead to violence in our communities,” U.S. Attorney Nikolas Kerest, of the District of Vermont, said. “It is a top priority of the U.S. Attorney’s Office to keep Vermonters safe from violence, and, as this case exemplifies, we continue to use significant resources to address crimes associated with violence in Vermont.”
Kerest also praised the Bureau of Alcohol, Tabacco, Firearms and Explosives and the Franklin County Sheriff’s Office for their investigative efforts.
ATF Special Agent in Charge of the Boston Field Division James Ferguson said that when guns are stolen from federal firearm licensees, they often end up contributing to gun violence.
RELATED: Peruvian sentenced in Connecticut for spending $46,000 using debit, credit cards stolen across US
“We are grateful for the strong collaboration between our law enforcement partners and federal prosecutors, whose efforts are essential in investigating and prosecuting these critical cases,” Ferguson said. “Together, we are working to keep our communities safer by preventing stolen guns from being used in violent crimes.”
The case is part of Project Safe Neighborhoods, which brings together all levels of law enforcement with local communities to curb violent crime and gun violence and make neighborhoods safer.
----
Dalton Zbierski is a digital content producer and writer at FOX61 News. He can be reached at dzbierski@FOX61.com.
----
Do you have a story idea or something on your mind you want to share? We want to hear from you! Email us at newstips@fox61.com.
----
HERE ARE MORE WAYS TO GET FOX61 NEWS
Download the FOX61 News APP
iTunes: Click here to download
Google Play: Click here to download
Stream Live on ROKU: Add the channel from the ROKU store or by searching FOX61.
Steam Live on FIRE TV: Search ‘FOX61’ and click ‘Get’ to download.
