U.S. Department of Justice

United States Attorney
District of Minnesota

District of Minnesota

www.justice.gov/usao/mn

For Immediate Release

Tuesday, February 7, 2012

Northome Felon Sentenced for Possessing Ten Firearms

MINNEAPOLIS – Yesterday in federal court in Fergus Falls, a felon from the small, northern Minnesota town of Northome was sentenced for possessing ten firearms. United States District Court Judge John R. Tunheim sentenced Jeffrey William Vesey, age 39, to 52 months inprison on one count of being a felon in possession of a firearm. Vesey was indicted on May 11, 2011, and pleaded guilty on September 13, 2011.

In his plea agreement, Vesey admitted that on August 17, 2010, he possessed ten firearms in his residence. The weapons were seized during the execution of a search warrant. Because he is a felon, Vesey is prohibited under federal law from possessing any firearms at any time. Vesey's prior felony convictions include fifth-degree sale of a controlled substance in 1997, third-degree burglary in 1998, and second-degree possession of a controlled substance in 1998. All three convictions occurred in Beltrami County.

This case was the result of an investigation by the U.S. Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives, the Itasca County Sheriff’s Office, the Headwaters Safe Trails Task Force and the Paul Bunyan Drug Task Force. It was prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney Julie E. Allyn.

Note, this case is part of Project Safe Neighborhoods (PSN), an initiative launched by the U.S. Justice Department in 2001 to promote a multi-jurisdictional, comprehensive approach to reducing gun crime in America. PSN provides resources to strengthen law enforcement and crime prevention partnerships that are working to make our streets and communities safer.

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