Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives

The Office of the United States Attorney for the District of Vermont stated that, on December 12, 2013, Troy McIlwain, 25, of Philadelphia, Pennsylvania and Burlington, Vermont, was sentenced to 57 months in federal prison after his guilty plea to a charge that he possessed two firearms as a convicted felon in June 2012. United States District Judge J. Garvan Murtha, sitting in Brattleboro, also ordered that McIlwain serve two years of supervised release following his prison term.

According to court records, McIlwain’s criminal history includes a felony burglary conviction, possession of stolen property, domestic assault, and several probation violations. On June 25, 2012, McIlwain was in absconder status from the Philadelphia County Probation Office and had an active arrest warrant issued by the Chittenden Superior Court in Vermont based on an allegation of aggravated domestic assault. On that day, law enforcement observed McIlwain operating a motor vehicle on North Street in Burlington’s North End. After McIlwain parked the vehicle at 72 Front Street, Burlington Police Officers and Deputy U.S. Marshals approached McIlwain as he stood behind the vehicle. McIlwain ran from law enforcement, scaled a fence, and fled.

While chasing McIlwain, law enforcement recovered a loaded Snakeslayer firearm that McIlwain discarded as he fled police.

The Snakeslayer is designed to shoot both .45 caliber rounds and .410 gauge shotgun shells. Following McIlwain’s trail, law enforcement observed a bloody t-shirt under one of the windows to 72 Front Street and blood on the window sill. Officers established a secure perimeter around the apartment building, and McIlwain surrendered after an hours-long stand-off with authorities. A subsequent search of the room in which McIlwain was hiding turned up a Heritage Arms .22 caliber revolver and assorted ammunition. McIlwain was arrested after a series of suspected drug-related shootings in the Burlington area in June 2012, including an incident in which shots rang out in the Farrell Street apartment complex in South Burlington on June 7, 2012. According to court records, McIlwain was involved in this South Burlington incident. According to one witness, McIlwain and an associate, brandishing firearms, confronted two individuals as they stood in the entrance to a Farrell Street apartment building.

McIlwain and his associate eventually let the two go. Minutes later, McIlwain and his associate fled the apartment building, guns at their side, and got into a waiting car. As they drove away, several gunshots were fired at them from the Farrell Street apartment building.

United States Attorney Tristram J. Coffin commented that firearms in the hands of convicted felons present a serious threat to public safety. “The prosecution of Troy McIlwain and related individuals in his investigation show a concerted effort by the U.S. Attorney’s Office and our law enforcement partners to pursue those who endanger our community by unlawfully possessing firearms.”

This case was investigated by the Burlington Police Department, the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives, the United States Marshals Service, and the Winooski Police Department. U.S. Attorney Coffin commended the efforts of these agencies during this investigation. This case was prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Kevin J. Doyle. McIlwain is represented by Assistant Federal Defender David L. McColgin.