Source: United States Department of Justice News
PROVIDENCE – A 39-year-old Burrillville man who falsely claimed on federal documents that he was not an unlawful user of controlled substances, including cocaine, when he purchased and possessed more than 200 firearms and tens of thousands of rounds of ammunition was sentenced today to more than five years in federal prison, announced United States Attorney Zachary A. Cunha.
In February 2022, when Burrillville Police responded to reports of shots fired at the home of Ronald Andruchuk, numerous gunshots could be heard – with some bullets passing overhead of responding officers. Andruchuk was found wearing a Commando-style multipurpose vest and was carrying four firearms and methamphetamine. After Andruchuk was taken into custody, Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms, and Explosives (ATF) agents and Burrillville Police executed a federal search warrant and seized 219 firearms strewn unsecured within Andruchuk’s home. Among the items seized were an AR-style privately-made firearm; assorted firearm ammunition magazines and accessories; and approximately 25,390 rounds (1,555.8lbs) of assorted boxed and loose ammunition of various calibers.
Additionally, an ATF investigation determined that Andruchuk previously admitted to law enforcement that he was a user of controlled substances and that he had a substance abuse problem. Further investigation determined that when attempting to purchase firearms from federally licensed firearms dealers, Andruchuk falsely claimed on federal forms that he was not “an unlawful user of, or addicted to, marijuana or any depressant, stimulant, narcotic drug, or any other controlled substance.”
“By repeatedly violating federal law to acquire an arsenal of firearms – firearms that he stored and used in a way that is the antithesis of responsible gun ownership, Ronald Andruchuk put his family, his neighbors, and our communities at risk,” said U.S. Attorney Cunha. “Today’s sentence should make crystal clear that we and our law enforcement partners intend to vigorously enforce federal gun laws to keep our communities safe.”
“Individuals who illegally use controlled substances are prohibited from possessing firearms,” said James M Ferguson Special Agent in Charge of the ATF Boston Field Division “ATF will continue to work with our law enforcement partners to ensure these offenders do not have the opportunity to illegally possess firearms. In this case, we were able to recover 219 guns and thousands of rounds of ammunition from Ronald Andruchuk”
“Ronald Andruchuk’s child-like infatuation with weapons, recklessness and illegal drug use posed an extreme threat to the lives and safety of his neighbors, his family and the Burrillville Police, added Burrillville Police Chief Colonel Stephen J. Lynch. “The Burrillville Police is appreciative of the collaborative work with ATF, its Task Force members, and the US Attorney’s Office in bringing Andruchuk to justice.”
According to court documents, during a routine review of multiple sales reports of firearms, ATF learned that between July and November of 2021, Andruchuk had purchased 169 firearms. Agents began to investigate further to ensure that Andruchuk was not involved in illegal firearms-trafficking activities. During that review, agents learned that Andruchuk had previous contact with the Cranston Police Department, during which he admitted to being a medical marijuana user. During a later contact with Cranston Police, Andruchuk was arrested on controlled substance offenses and admitted to having a substance abuse problem.
Further investigation by ATF determined that, in December 2021, two firearms, drugs, and other items were located in the drop ceiling of a bathroom inside a Millbury, MA, retail store shortly after Andruchuk vacated the restroom. Both firearms were traced to Andruchuk as the purchaser. He did not have a license to carry a firearm in Massachusetts.
Andruchuk pleaded guilty on January 18, 2023, to two charges of making a false statement of material fact during a firearm purchase and possession of a firearm by an unlawful user of a controlled substance. At sentencing today, U.S. District Court Judge Mary S. McElroy sentenced Andruchuk to sixty-three months in federal prison to be followed by three years of federal supervised release, and to pay a $10,000 fine.
At the request of the U.S. Attorney’s Office, the court ordered the 219 firearms and more than 25,000 rounds of ammunition seized from the defendant to be forfeited to the Government to be destroyed.
The case is being prosecuted by Assistant United Sates Attorney Ronald R. Gendron.
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.
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