New Bedford Guide Your Guide to New Bedford and South Coast, MA
A Brockton man pleaded guilty today in federal court in Boston to a firearms offense.
Tyrell Hampton, 30, pleaded guilty to being a felon in possession of firearms before U.S. District Court Judge Nathaniel M. Gorton, who scheduled sentencing for July 9, 2020.
Hampton sold two .9mm Luger pistols and 21 rounds of .9mm ammunition to an undercover officer in Brockton on June 27, 2019. In phone communications prior to the transaction, Hampton indicated that the buyer should move fast because “they [the firearms offered for sale] go quick but I can always get more.”
According to court records, Hampton has previously been convicted of multiple felony offenses including drug convictions and a prior firearm conviction. As a felon, Hampton is barred under federal law from possessing a firearm.
The charge of possessing a firearm after being convicted of a felony provides for a sentence of up to10 years in prison, three years of supervised release and a $250,000 fine. Sentences are imposed by a federal district court judge based on the U.S. Sentencing Guidelines and other statutory factors.
United States Attorney Andrew E. Lelling and Kelly D. Brady, Special Agent in Charge of the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms, and Explosives, New England Division made the announcement today. Valuable assistance was provided by the Massachusetts State Police and the Brockton Police Department. Assistant U.S. Attorney Bill Abely of Lelling’s Major Crimes Unit is prosecuting the case.
