Concord, N.H.- Acting United States Attorney John J. Farley announced today that Christian Cherry, 33, previously of Manchester, New Hampshire, was sentenced to 30 months in prison for possession of a firearm by a prohibited person.
According to court documents and statements made in court proceedings, on Aug. 13, 2016, after receiving a 911 call, Manchester Police responded to a residence for a reported domestic dispute. Upon arrival, they encountered Cherry in his vehicle in the parking lot of the residence, and his then-girlfriend inside the apartment. Once in the apartment, officers observed visible signs of a struggle, and witnesses reported the presence of a firearm. Officers ultimately obtained a search warrant for the residence and recovered two Smith & Wesson handguns in a bedroom belonging to Cherry. One of the firearms had been reported stolen to Manchester Police in June 2016. Cherry was prohibited from possessing any firearm as a result of at least one prior felony conviction.
A federal grand jury indicted Cherry for being a felon in possession of a firearm on Oct. 19, 2016. Cherry pleaded guilty on May 10, 2017. He has been in custody since his arrest on Nov. 17, 2016.
In addition to a 30-month prison sentence, the Court ordered Cherry to serve three years of supervised release and to pay a $100 mandatory special assessment.
This case was jointly investigated by the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms & Explosives and the Manchester Police Department. The case is part of ATF’s Project Safe Neighborhoods initiative, which is a federally-funded program intended to reduce gun violence through law enforcement training, public education, and aggressive law enforcement efforts to investigate and prosecute gun-related crimes. The case was prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney Charles L. Rombeau.
Source: U.S. Department of Justice, Office of the United States Attorneys
