Barre Man Sentenced to 66 Months in Federal Prison for Possessing Stolen Handguns

The Office of the United States Attorney for the District of Vermont stated that on September 5, 2013, Bruce Lamell, 39, of Barre, Vermont, was sentenced to 66 months in federal prison for possessing firearms stolen from R&L Archery, a sporting goods store located in Barre, Vermont. United States District Judge William K. Sessions, III, sitting in Burlington, also ordered Lamell to serve a term of three years of supervised release following Lamell’s prison sentence.

According to court records, Lamell broke into R&L Archery during the early morning hours of October 29, 2011, and stole five handguns and other merchandise. Law enforcement officials recovered all five stolen firearms from Lamell’s Barre residence on the evening of October 29, 2011. At the time he committed the offense, Lamell was serving a six-month to two-year sentence imposed by the Vermont Superior Court in Washington County following Lamell’s 2010 felony conviction for grand larceny. The Vermont Department of Corrections permitted Lamell to serve his sentence at home pursuant to the Department’s furlough program.

For possessing the stolen firearms, Lamell faced a maximum federal prison sentence of 10 years. Pursuant to a written plea agreement, the parties agreed that the court should impose a sentence between 48 and 66 months. In sentencing Lamell to the high end of the agreed-upon range, Judge Sessions considered, among other factors, Lamell’s criminal record and the gravity of the offense.

United States Attorney Tristram J. Coffin commended the efforts of the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms, and Explosives; the Barre City Police Department; and the Federal Bureau of Investigation for their hard work and coordinated efforts on this investigation. The prosecutor is Assistant United States Attorney Timothy C. Doherty, Jr. Lamell Newton is represented by Mark Kaplan.

United States Attorney Coffin noted that this prosecution is part of the U.S. Department of Justice’s Project Safe Neighborhood, a nationwide commitment to reduce gun crime in America. Led by the U.S. Attorney’s Office and the Bureau of Alcohol Tobacco, Firearms, and Explosives, Project Safe Neighborhood marshals federal, state, and local resources to better locate, apprehend, and prosecute individuals who violate federal gun laws. For more information about Project Safe Neighborhood and Project Safe Vermont, please visit: www.psn.gov.