Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives

CONCORD - Ryan Faulconer, 25, of Nashua, was sentenced to serve 18 months in prison for illegal possessing firearms, United States Attorney Scott W. Murray announced today.

According to court documents and statements made in court, Faulconer purchased eight firearms in a two-week period between April and May of 2016. At the time he purchased the firearms, Faulconer was prohibited from possessing firearms by federal law due to an ongoing addiction to opioids. However, when making the purchases, he falsely stated that he was not addicted to any controlled substances. When interviewed by investigators in May of 2016, Faulconer admitted his addiction and could produce only one of the eight firearms, claiming the others had been stolen.

Faulconer pleaded guilty on October 4, 2017. Following the completion of his term of imprisonment, Faulconer will serve a term of three years of supervised release.

“In order to combat violent crime, we must ensure that guns do not fall into the wrong hands,” said U.S. Attorney Murray. “We will work closely with our law enforcement partners to enforce federal gun laws in order to keep our communities safe.”

“The Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives (ATF) is committed to targeting prohibited individuals from possessing and trafficking in firearms”, said Mickey Leadingham, ATF Special Agent in Charge Field of the Boston Field Division. “ATF will continue to collaborate with our law enforcement partners to eliminate these type of crimes and remove firearms from illegal commerce.”

This matter was investigated by the ATF. The case is part of ATF’s Project Safe Neighborhoods initiative, which is a federally-funded program intended to reduce gun violence through law enforcement training, public education, and aggressive law enforcement efforts to investigate and prosecute gun-related crimes. The case is being prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney Charles L. Rombeau.

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