Vermont Man Sentenced to 4 Years in Prison for Firearm and Drug Offenses
BOSTON – A Vermont man was sentenced today in federal court in Springfield, Mass. for illegally possessing a firearm and ammunition and possessing methamphetamine intended for distribution.
Jeffrey Baird, 43, was sentenced by U.S. District Court Judge Mark G. Mastroianni to four years in prison, three years of supervised release, and a $200 mandatory special assessment fee. In January 2024, Baird pleaded guilty to one count of being a felon in possession of a firearm and ammunition and one count of possessing with the intent to distribute methamphetamine.
In December 2021, law enforcement stopped Baird’s vehicle travelling north on Route 91 in Northampton. Baird had a fake paper license plate taped to his back window and had been driving without a valid driver’s license. Baird was taken into custody. During a subsequent search of Baird’s vehicle, a revolver and five rounds of ammunition were found along with 207 grams of methamphetamine in a Ziplock bag – which carried a street value of between $6,000 and $10,000. Additionally, three more rounds of ammunition were found on Baird’s person inside his Hell’s Angels vest.
Baird is prohibited from possessing firearms and ammunition due to prior convictions for firearms offenses.
Acting United States Attorney Joshua S. Levy; James M. Ferguson, Special Agent in Charge of the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives, Boston Field Division; and John E. Mawn, Jr., Interim Colonel of the Massachusetts State Police made the announcement today. Assistant U.S. Attorney Deepika Bains Shukla, Chief of the Springfield Branch Office, prosecuted the case.