Cody Ahonen, Firearm Offense, Vermont 2021

Cody Ahonen, a 28-year-old man from Mt. Holly, Vermont, has been charged with a firearm offense in a case that has left a community in shock. On September 20, 2021, Ahonen was arrested by agents with the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives.

According to a federal criminal complaint filed on September 21, 2021, Ahonen was prohibited by federal law from possessing firearms due to a previous conviction for a misdemeanor crime of domestic violence. In 2012, Ahonen was convicted of domestic assault in Vermont state court.

The charges against Ahonen stem from the death of his girlfriend, Brittany Bouthiette, who died of a gunshot wound sustained in a parked vehicle in Killington, Vermont, on September 15, 2021. Ahonen initially told law enforcement that Bouthiette had shot herself, but investigators later discovered that Ahonen had possessed the gun used in the incident and had attempted to throw it into the woods.

During the investigation, Vermont State Police found a Glock pistol, a rifle, a quantity of powder cocaine, hundreds of rounds of ammunition, a digital scale with white residue, and approximately $10,000 in U.S. currency in the vehicle where Bouthiette’s body was found.

The charge against Ahonen is merely an accusation, and he is presumed innocent unless and until proven guilty. If convicted of possessing a firearm having been previously convicted of a misdemeanor crime of domestic violence, in violation of 18 U.S.C. § 922(g)(9), Ahonen faces a maximum sentence of 10 years imprisonment and up to a $250,000 fine.

Acting United States Attorney Jonathan A. Ophardt commended the coordinated investigatory efforts of the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms, and Explosives and the Vermont State Police.

The case is being prosecuted as part of the joint federal, state, and local Project Safe Neighborhoods (PSN) Program, which focuses enforcement efforts on the most violent offenders and partners with locally based prevention and reentry programs for lasting reductions in crime.

Cody Ahonen is represented by attorneys with the Federal Public Defender’s Office, and the United States is represented by Assistant U.S. Attorney Wendy L. Fuller.

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