Department of Justice
For Immediate Release
Chelsea Man Charged as Felon in Possession of Firearm
BOSTON – A Chelsea man was arrested on Dec. 27, 2019, and charged with being a felon in possession of a firearm.
Semaj Leary was charged in an indictment with one count of being a felon in possession of a firearm. Following an initial appearance and arraignment in federal court in Boston today, Leary was detained pending a detention hearing set for Jan. 2, 2020.
According the indictment, on Aug. 15, 2019, Leary was found in possession of a 9mm Glock semi-automatic pistol, seven rounds of R-P 9mm caliber ammunition, four round of WIN 9mm caliber ammunition, two rounds of VPT 9mm caliber ammunition, one round of WCC 9mm caliber ammunition, and one round of Tulammo 9mm caliber ammunition. Leary had previously been convicted of being a felon in possession of a firearm and other crimes punishable by more than a year in jail, and therefore was prohibited from possessing firearms.
The charging statute provides for a sentence of no greater than 10 years in prison, up to three years of supervised release, and a fine of $250,000 or twice the gross gain or loss. Sentences are imposed by a federal district court judge based upon the U.S. Sentencing Guidelines and other statutory factors.
United States Attorney Andrew E. Lelling; Kelly Brady, Special Agent in Charge of the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms & Explosives, Boston Field Division; Suffolk County District Attorney Rachel Rollins; and Boston Police Commissioner William Gross made the announcement today.
This case is part of Project Safe Neighborhoods (PSN), the centerpiece of the Department of Justice’s violent crime reduction efforts. PSN is an evidence-based program proven to be effective at reducing violent crime. Through PSN, a broad spectrum of stakeholders work together to identify the most pressing violent crime problems in the community and develop comprehensive solutions to address them. As part of this strategy, PSN focuses enforcement efforts on the most violent offenders and partners with locally based prevention and reentry programs for lasting reductions in crime.
The details contained in the charging documents are allegations. The defendant is presumed innocent unless and until proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt in a court of law.