Hartford, Connecticut Man Sentenced to 18 Months in Firearm Possession Case

Burlington, Vermont - The United States Attorney's Office for the District of Vermont stated that on December 16, 2024, Sharad Collier, 27, of Hartford, Connecticut, was sentenced by United States District Judge William K. Sessions III, to eighteen months' imprisonment to be followed by a 3-year term of supervised release. Sharad Collier previously pleaded guilty to being a prohibited person in possession of a firearm.

According to court records, on February 28, 2023, Collier fled from a residence in Morristown, Vermont where law enforcement arrested other individuals. Police tracked Collier to a nearby shed-like structure which the defendant refused to exit for approximately two hours. Eventually, Collier surrendered to the police. Police then obtained a warrant to search the residence from which Collier fled where they found a Glock Model 23 .40 caliber semi-automatic pistol in the bedroom previously occupied by Collier and from which Collier fled hours before he surrendered. Collier later admitted to investigators that he was an unlawful user of controlled substances in February 2023. He was therefore prohibited from possessing a firearm. The investigation into Collier further demonstrated that he was involved in trafficking cocaine base and fentanyl in Vermont in February of 2023.

United States Attorney Nikolas P. Kerest commended the collaborative investigatory efforts of the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives (ATF), the Morristown Police Department, the Stowe Police Department, the Lamoille County Sheriff's Department, and the Vermont State Police.

The case was prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney Zachary Stendig. Collier was represented by Allan Sullivan, Esq.

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. For more information about Project Safe Neighborhoods, please visit Justice.gov/PSN.