Theodore Bland, Unlawful Possession of a Firearm, Vermont 2024

Threat with Shotgun Lands Stowe Man in Jail

Burlington, Vermont – In a shocking turn of events, Theodore Bland, 29, of Stowe, Vermont, brandished a 12-gauge Mossburg Model 88 Maverick shotgun while threatening a driver in the parking lot of a South Burlington convenience store on March 17, 2023. The driver, along with two female passengers, was coerced into Bland's vehicle where he continued to possess the shotgun and smoke cocaine base.

According to court records, Bland's vehicle was stopped by the Vermont State Police, who observed the Mossburg shotgun and various controlled substances in the vehicle. This led to Bland's arrest and subsequent charges.

On October 21, 2024, Bland was sentenced by United States District Judge William K. Sessions III to a term of 14 months' imprisonment to be followed by a two-year term of supervised release. He previously pleaded guilty to possessing a Mossburg 12-gauge shotgun on March 17, 2023, while being an unlawful user of controlled substances and knowing that he was an unlawful user of controlled substances.

The United States Attorney's Office for the District of Vermont commended the collaborative investigatory efforts of the South Burlington Police Department, the Vermont State Police, the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms, and Explosives, the Stowe Police Department, the Federal Bureau of Investigation, the Morristown Police Department, the Drug Enforcement Administration, and the Lamoille County Sheriff's Department.

The case was prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorneys Jason Turner and Paul Van de Graaf. Bland is represented by David Sleigh, Esq.

This case is part of Project Safe Neighborhoods (PSN), a program aiming to reduce violent crime and gun violence by fostering trust and legitimacy in communities, supporting community-based organizations, setting focused and strategic enforcement priorities, and measuring results.

Source: https://www.justice.gov/usao-vt/pr/stowe-man-sentenced-14-months-jail-unlawful-possession-firearm