Source: United States Department of Justice News
The Office of the United States Attorney for the District of Vermont announced today that David Tom, 38, of Barre, Vermont, was sentenced to serve 2 years of imprisonment for unlawfully possessing a firearm as a convicted felon. United States District Court Judge William K. Sessions III also ordered Tom to serve a two-year term of supervised release after his incarceration.
According to court records, Tom was in a vehicle that was stopped by Vermont State Police on January 28, 2022, in Barre. The stop occurred because of a suspected invalid registration and an inoperable taillight. After officers observed drug paraphernalia, a K9 alerted on the vehicle. A subsequent search resulted in the seizure of a Hi Point .380 ACP semi-automatic handgun from inside Tom’s backpack. At the time of the traffic stop, Tom was subject to conditions of release in multiple pending State of Vermont criminal matters and was subject to a 24-hour curfew.
United States Attorney Nikolas P. Kerest commended the investigatory efforts of the Vermont State Police, the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms, and Explosives, and the Montpelier Police Department. He also thanked the Washington County State’s Attorney’s Office and the Washington County Sheriff’s Office for their assistance.
The prosecutor was Assistant United States Attorney Jonathan Ophardt. Tom was represented by Mary Nerino, Esq., of the Office of the Federal Public Defender.
This case is part of Project Safe Neighborhoods (PSN), a program bringing together all levels of law enforcement and the communities they serve to reduce violent crime and gun violence, and to make our neighborhoods safer for everyone. On May 26, 2021, the Department launched a violent crime reduction strategy strengthening PSN based on these core principles: fostering trust and legitimacy in our communities, supporting community-based organizations that help prevent violence from occurring in the first place, setting focused and strategic enforcement priorities, and measuring the results. For more information about Project Safe Neighborhoods, please visit https://www.justice.gov/psn