Timothy Gabriel Faces Federal Firearms Charge

Burlington, Vermont – The United States Attorney’s Office announced that Timothy Gabriel, 29, who most recently has been living in the Rutland area, appeared today in United States District Court in Burlington on a charge that he possessed a firearm as a convicted felon. U.S. Magistrate Judge Kevin Doyle ordered that Gabriel be held without bail pending further proceedings.

According to the criminal complaint that was filed on October 18, someone stole a Vermont State Police cruiser from the residence in Rutland where it was parked in the pre-dawn hours of October 17. A few hours later, the car was found parked behind a downtown Rutland business. Investigators found that a police-issued Sig Sauer rifle had been forcibly removed from a secure locking device in the vehicle. Surveillance camera footage from businesses near where the cruiser was found showed the car enter a parking lot before dawn. The footage depicted a man, whom several witnesses later identified as Timothy Gabriel, get out of the car, then leave the area with what appeared to be a rifle in his hand. Gabriel is prohibited from possessing any firearms because he has several prior convictions in Vermont for felony offenses. Gabriel was arrested in Burlington on the afternoon of October 18.

The United States Attorney emphasizes that the charge in the complaint is an accusation and that Gabriel is presumed innocent unless and until he is proven guilty.

If convicted, Gabriel faces up to 15 years of imprisonment and a fine of up to $250,000. The actual sentence would be determined with reference to Federal Sentencing Guidelines.

This case was investigated by the Vermont State Police, with assistance from the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives and the Federal Bureau of Investigation.  

Gabriel is represented by Assistant Federal Public Defender Mary Nerino. The prosecutor is Assistant U.S. Attorney Gregory Waples.

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.