Bradley Allen failed to disclose that he is subject to a domestic violence restraining order issued by the Rhode Island Family Court
PROVIDENCE, R.I. - Bradley Allen, 25, of Coventry, was arrested on Wednesday and ordered to home confinement with GPS monitoring following his initial appearance in U.S. District Court on a federal criminal complaint charging him with making false statements on a federal firearms form and to a federally registered firearms dealer. It is alleged that, while attempting to purchase a firearm, Allen denied that he was the subject of a domestic violence restraining order issued by the Family Court, when in fact he is.
Allen’s arrest and initial appearance are announced by United States Attorney Peter F. Neronha and Daniel J. Kumor, Special Agent in Charge of the Boston Field Division of ATF.
According to court documents and information presented to the court, it is alleged that on Feb. 13, 2016, Allen expressed an interest in purchasing a firearm from a licensed firearms dealer in West Warwick. Allen claimed on an ATF form, required to be completed by the purchaser of a firearm from a federally licensed firearms dealer, that he was not the subject of a protective order. A background investigation by law enforcement revealed that, according to court records, Allen is the subject of a domestic violence restraining order issued by the Rhode Island Family Court on Dec. 1, 2014. The restraining order remains in effect for three years.
According to court records, on March 28, 2016, an ATF agent spoke by telephone with Allen regarding the information he allegedly provided on the ATF form. As a follow-up to that conversation, Allen was scheduled to appear in person at a local ATF office within the next two days to further discuss his alleged claim that he was not subject to a protective order. Allen failed to respond to the ATF office or contact the agent.
A federal criminal complaint charging Allen with one count of providing false statements to a firearms dealer and one count of making false statements on a federal firearms form was filed with the U.S. District Court on Monday. Allen was arrested on Wednesday by ATF agents, with the assistance of Coventry Police, and made an initial appearance before U.S. District Court Magistrate Judge Lincoln D. Almond.
A criminal complaint is merely an allegation and is not evidence of guilt. A defendant is entitled to a fair trial in which it will be the government’s burden to prove guilt beyond a reasonable doubt.
The case is being prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney Milind M. Shah. The matter was investigated by ATF.
Source: U.S. Department of Justice, Office of the United States Attorneys
