Southbridge Man Pleads Guilty to Illegal Gun Possession, Reports U.S. Attorney

A Southbridge man pleaded guilty today in federal court to possession of a stolen firearm.

United States Attorney Michael J. Sullivan and William J. Hoover, Special Agent in Charge of the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives in New England, announced today that BRIAN VALLEE, age 22, of 49 Chestnut Street, Southbridge, Massachusetts, pleaded guilty before U.S. District Judge F. Dennis Saylor, IV, to Possession of a Stolen Firearm that has Traveled in Interstate Commerce.

At today's plea hearing, the prosecutor told the Court that, had the case proceeded to trial, the evidence would have proven that VALLEE admitted to ATF agents that he had purchased a stolen 12 gauge shotgun for protection, and that he later disposed of the gun by cutting it into pieces and throwing it into the waters adjacent to the Dudley Paper Mill. ATF then asked the Massachusetts State Police Underwater Recovery team to conduct dives in the waters where VALLEE confessed to throwing the shotgun. The Underwater Recovery Team conducted three dives and recovered pieces of an Ithaca brand 12 gauge shotgun, including a piece with the serial number. A trace of the serial number showed that it had been manufactured in New York State, sold in Shrewsbury and later reported stolen in 1999. The recovery also showed the shotgun pieces were disposed of in plastic shopping bags, consistent with VALLEE's statement as to how he had disposed of the gun.

Judge Saylor scheduled sentencing for January 19, 2006. VALLEE faces up to 10 years' imprisonment, to be followed by 3 years of supervised release, and a $250,000 fine.

VALLEE is currently serving a jail sentence for a drug offense prosecuted by the Office of Worcester County District Attorney John Conte.

The case was investigated by Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives in Worcester. The recovery of the evidence was supervised and executed by the Massachusetts State Police Underwater Recovery Team. The case is being prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney David Hennessy in Sullivan's Worcester Branch Office.

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