Gene F. Bussard, Illegally Hoarded Firearms and Ammunition, Everett…

Gene F. Bussard, 42, of Everett, Pa., was sentenced to three years’ probation and slapped with a $250 fine for illegally hoarding 19 firearms and ammunition—despite being barred from owning a single round as a convicted felon. The sentence, handed down by U.S. District Judge Kim R. Gibson, marks the end of a federal case rooted in a November 2013 discovery that exposed Bussard’s arsenal.

Bussard’s criminal past dates back to a 2003 theft conviction in Allegany County, Md.—a felony that automatically stripped him of his right to possess firearms or ammunition under federal law. That didn’t stop him. On Nov. 7, 2013, investigators found the full cache of weapons in his possession, triggering a federal prosecution under strict gun control statutes.

Under 18 U.S.C. § 922(g), anyone convicted of a crime punishable by more than one year in prison is prohibited from owning or handling firearms. Theft qualifies. Bussard’s possession of 19 guns wasn’t a paperwork error—it was a deliberate violation of a law designed to keep weapons out of dangerous hands.

The case was prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney John J. Valkovci, Jr., who argued for accountability in a region where illegal gun circulation fuels broader violent crime. Federal prosecutors, backed by U.S. Attorney David J. Hickton, emphasized that Bussard’s actions posed a clear threat to public safety.

Hickton credited the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives (ATF) and the Pennsylvania State Police for their relentless work in tracking down and dismantling Bussard’s illegal stockpile. Their joint investigation formed part of Project Safe Neighborhoods, a nationwide push to target gun crimes through coordinated federal, state, and local enforcement.

Bussard’s sentence, while avoiding prison time, sends a message: even in rural corners like Bedford County, federal authorities are watching. Three years of probation and a fine may seem light, but the record sticks—another felon caught feeding America’s illegal gun pipeline.

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