A 46-year-old Williston woman, Grace Ross, is facing federal charges after allegedly brandishing a handgun during a road rage incident in Burlington on July 30, 2021. According to court records, Ross pointed a Taurus 9mm pistol at a vehicle carrying two adults and an infant after cutting them off near Main Street and South Prospect Street, nearly causing a collision.
The driver of the targeted vehicle honked in response, prompting Ross—now driving ahead—to pull out the firearm and point it through her rear window. The Burlington Police Department was quickly dispatched and stopped Ross shortly after the confrontation. Officers seized the loaded handgun, which is now subject to federal forfeiture under the ongoing prosecution.
Ross was initially charged in state court with aggravated assault, but those charges were dropped when federal authorities stepped in. A federal grand jury in Burlington has indicted her on one count of unlawful possession of a firearm by a person previously convicted of a misdemeanor crime of domestic violence. The charge carries a maximum penalty of ten years in prison and a $250,000 fine.
Ross has pleaded not guilty. U.S. Magistrate Judge Kevin J. Doyle ordered her released on conditions pending trial. She is represented by Michael Desautels, Esq. of the Federal Public Defender’s Office. Assistant U.S. Attorney Joseph Perella is prosecuting the case.
The investigation was conducted jointly by the Burlington Police Department and the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives (ATF). The case falls under the umbrella of Project Safe Neighborhoods (PSN), the Department of Justice’s signature initiative to combat violent crime through coordinated federal, state, and local enforcement.
The indictment against Grace Ross is an accusation; she is presumed innocent unless proven guilty in a court of law. Sentencing, if convicted, will be determined by the Federal Sentencing Guidelines. More information on PSN’s crime reduction strategies is available at https://www.justice.gov/psn.
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