Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives

CONCORD, N.H. – United States Attorney Jane E. Young announced that Corey Donovan, 40, previously of Wilmot, was sentenced to 115 months of imprisonment on Tuesday following his conviction at trial last year for the unlawful possession of a firearm and ammunition by a felon.

According to trial exhibits and witness testimony presented during the four-day jury trial in October 2021, Donovan was prohibited from possessing firearms due to prior felony convictions. In March 2021, law enforcement received a tip that Donovan possessed firearms. After analyzing the information received and employing other investigative techniques, search warrants were obtained to search Donovan’s property and vehicles associated with him. Located in Donovan’s Jeep, strapped to the Jeep’s roll bar, was a loaded 20-gauge shotgun, with several rounds of ammunition on and in the weapon. Additional ammunition was located in the Jeep’s center console. In addition, a companion 20-gauge shotgun barrel, several shotgun parts, multiple rounds of ammunition, two homemade silencers and various gun accessories were located in other locations on Donovan’s property.

Donovan has been detained since his March 2021 arrest. He was on supervised release at the time of the offense following an earlier federal conviction for conspiracy to commit bank robbery and related firearms charges arising out of the February 2007 armed robbery of the Franklin Savings Bank where he and several compatriots initially escaped by snowmobile. The sentence imposed by the Court consists of 110 months for the new firearms offense and 5 months for the violation of supervised release, to be served consecutively. Donovan will be on a new term of supervised release of 3 years following his release from Bureau of Prisons custody.

After the sentencing, U.S. Attorney Young stated, “Convicted felons, like the defendant, who illegally possess weapons and ammunition will be prosecuted and upon conviction, the government will seek significant periods of incarceration to ensure the safety of our communities and to deter felons from committing these crimes.”

“ATF will continue the fight against violent crime in our communities,” said James M. Ferguson Special Agent in Charge of the ATF Boston Field Division. “We will continue to work alongside our law enforcement partners keeping guns out of the hands of convicted of felons.”

This matter was investigated by the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives, United States Marshals Service, New Hampshire State Police, New Hampshire Information and Analysis Center, New Hampshire Fish and Game Department, and Andover Police Department. Special assistance was also provided by the Somersworth Police Department. The case was prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorneys Anna Krasinski and Charles L. Rombeau.

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