DOVER — A local man faced a federal court on Tuesday after admitting to possessing firearms and ammunition as a convicted felon, stemming from a domestic incident earlier this year.
Christopher T. Brown, 38, entered a guilty plea for being a felon in possession of firearms and ammunition.
The admission came after an intense situation on Jan. 9 when Brown’s spouse alerted authorities to a dispute during which Brown threatened to harm himself with a gun.
Dover police swiftly responded to the emergency call at Brown’s residence.
With consent from Brown’s spouse, police conducted a search and discovered an arsenal of four firearms, including two pistols, a .40 caliber rifle, and a 12-gauge sawed-off shotgun, along with various ammunition.
Brown, acknowledging his status as a felon prohibited from owning firearms, confessed ownership of the guns.
He also disclosed his use of a straw purchaser to acquire three of the firearms and later orchestrating a false police report to claim those guns had been stolen.
The conviction carries a statutory maximum sentence of up to 15 years in prison, three years of supervised release, and a potential fine of $250,000.
Sentencing guidelines and federal statutes will influence the final decision by U.S. District Court Judge Steven J. McAuliffe, with sentencing set for May 14.
Initially charged on April 26, Brown’s case was investigated by the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives (ATF), with crucial support from the Dover Police Department.
Assistant U.S. Attorney Alexander S. Chen is leading the prosecution.
