Pelham Woman Pleads Guilty to Straw Purchasing a Firearm

CONCORD - A Pelham woman pleaded guilty today in federal court to making a false statement to acquire a firearm, U.S. Attorney Jane E. Young announces.

Rebecca Aubuchont, 28, pleaded guilty to making a false statement in connection with acquiring a firearm for her then-partner, James Aubuchont. U.S. District Court Judge Landya B. McCafferty scheduled sentencing for October 17, 2024. James pleaded guilty to being a felon in possession of two firearms and ammunition on June 13, 2024, and is scheduled to be sentenced on September 20, 2024.

In July 2023, a state warrant was issued for James's arrest in connection with an aggravated felonious sexual assault. Law enforcement arrested him on July 12, 2023, near the Flat Mountain Pond Shelter in the White Mountains. During a recorded jailhouse call, James asked Rebecca to retrieve his two "fishing rods" from the campsite, including one that "we got from VJ, remember the one you bought?" Three days later, law enforcement recovered a rifle and pistol from James's campsite, along with over 2,000 rounds of ammunition. Rebecca had purchased the rifle from a firearms dealer operated by an individual with the first and middle initials V.J. with the intention of giving the gun to James.

The charging statute provides a sentence of no greater than 10 years in prison, 3 years of supervised release, and a fine of $250,000. Sentences are imposed by a federal district court judge based upon the U.S. Sentencing Guidelines and statutes which govern the determination of a sentence in a criminal case.

The Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, and Firearms led the investigation. The Carroll County Sheriff's Department and U.S. Forest Service provided valuable assistance. Assistant U.S. Attorneys Alexander S. Chen and Tiffany A. Scanlon are prosecuting the case.

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