Previously Convicted Felon Sentenced to Seven Years in Prison for Unlawfully Possessing Firearm and Ammunition
BOSTON – A Lawrence man was sentenced today in federal court in Boston for being a felon in possession of a firearm and ammunition.
Stephen Skeirik, 39, was sentenced by U.S. Senior District Court Judge Mark L. Wolf to seven years in prison followed by three years of supervised release. In May, Skeirik pleaded guilty to being a felon in possession of a firearm and ammunition.
On Feb. 27, 2020, Skeirik and another individual were observed engaging in a suspected drug transaction. When law enforcement approached Skeirik, he ran and threw a loaded Ruger .380 caliber pistol into a neighbor’s yard. During a search of his home, a stolen Ruger 9mm pistol loaded with seven rounds of ammunition was recovered along with tools for drug distribution, cutting agents and drugs.
Due to a previous conviction for felony drug distribution, Skeirik is prohibited from possessing firearms and ammunition.
Acting U.S. Attorney Joshua S. Levy and James M. Ferguson, Special Agent in Charge of the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives, Boston Field Division, made the announcement. Valuable assistance was provided by the Massachusetts Parole Board, Lawrence Police Department and the Essex County District Attorney’s Office. Assistant U.S. Attorney Philip C. Cheng of the Organized Crime & Gang Unit prosecuted the case.
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.
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