David H. Carlton, 47, of Glens Falls, New York, admitted today to selling a loaded Mossberg shotgun to a convicted felon—knowing full well the man couldn’t legally own a firearm. The deal, struck in the spring of 2016, has landed Carlton in federal court, facing up to a decade behind bars.
Carlton purchased the shotgun online for $175 and flipped it to George Allen for $250. Allen, already barred from possessing weapons due to prior felony convictions, was pulled over by New York State Police on August 1, 2016, in Queensbury. Officers found the loaded shotgun in his vehicle—a discovery that lit the fuse on a federal investigation.
According to court documents, Carlton knew Allen was a felon at the time of the sale. That knowledge is key: federal law strictly prohibits transferring firearms to individuals with felony records. By doing so, Carlton violated 18 U.S.C. § 922(d)(1), a statute that doesn’t forgive casual disregard for the law.
Allen already pleaded guilty on June 5, 2017, to being a felon in possession of a firearm and ammunition. He’s set for sentencing on April 3, 2018. Now, both men are staring down the same grim possibility: 10 years in prison, up to 3 years of supervised release, and a $250,000 fine.
Carlton’s sentencing is scheduled for August 1, 2018, before Senior U.S. District Judge Frederick J. Scullin, Jr. The judge will weigh the U.S. Sentencing Guidelines, the nature of the crime, and any mitigating factors before imposing a sentence. No guarantees exist—just the cold math of federal prosecution.
The case was investigated by the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives (ATF) and the New York State Police, and prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney Douglas Collyer. U.S. Attorney Grant C. Jaquith, ATF Special Agent in Charge Ashan M. Benedict, and Superintendent George P. Beach II of the New York State Police all confirmed the outcome, underscoring the crackdown on illegal gun trafficking in upstate New York.
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Key Facts
- State: New York
- Agency: DOJ USAO
- Category: Weapons
- Source: Official Source ↗
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