Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives

CONCORD, N.H. — A former Dover, New Hampshire, man pleaded guilty in federal court to being a felon in possession of firearms and ammunition, U.S. Attorney Jane E. Young announces.

Christopher T. Brown, 38, pleaded guilty to being a felon in possession of firearms and ammunition. Sentencing was scheduled for May 14, 2024, with U.S. District Court Judge Steven J. McAuliffe. Brown was first charged on April 26, 2023.

On January 9, 2023, the defendant’s spouse called emergency services and reported that she and the defendant had an argument, and that the defendant had a gun to his head. Dover police officers responded to the emergency call at the defendant’s home.  The defendant’s spouse consented to a search of the house, and officers found four firearms.  Those guns included two pistols, a .40 caliber rifle, and a 12-gauge sawed-off shotgun.  Officers also recovered ammunition. 

The defendant later admitted to owning the firearms and knowing that he could not lawfully possess them as a felon.  The defendant also admitted that he used a straw purchaser to purchase three of the firearms and asked that straw purchaser to file a false police report that the firearms she bought were stolen. 

The charging statute provides a sentence of no greater than 15 years in prison, 3 years of supervised release, and a fine of $250,000.  Sentences are imposed by a federal district court judge based upon the U.S. Sentencing Guidelines and statutes which govern the determination of a sentence in a criminal case.

The Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives led the investigation. Valuable assistance was provided by the Dover Police Department. Assistant U.S. Attorney Alexander S. Chen is prosecuting the case.

###