A Washington man has admitted to illegal possession of firearms after being removed from an Amtrak train in Libby, Montana. U.S. Attorney Jesse Laslovich confirmed that Mallory Nehemiah Brown, 43, from Auburn, Washington, pleaded guilty to the charge of prohibited person in possession of a firearm.
Brown could face up to 15 years in prison, a $250,000 fine, and three years of supervised release. The plea was entered before U.S. Magistrate Judge Kathleen L. DeSoto. Sentencing is scheduled for May 29 and will be presided over by U.S. District Judge Dana L. Christensen.
Court documents reveal that Brown was convicted of bank robbery in 2004 in federal district court in California and is legally barred from possessing firearms or ammunition. On January 8, 2024, Brown boarded an Amtrak train in Seattle with luggage containing multiple firearms and accessories. The train was en route to Washington D.C., stopping first in Chicago.
The following day, the train stopped in Libby due to passenger complaints about Brown. Law enforcement intervened and removed him from the train. A search of his bags revealed four firearms along with ammunition, magazines, a suppressor, eight firearms receivers, night vision goggles, a tactical vest, and other items.
The identified firearms included a .22LR HV rifle with a serial number; a 12-gauge pump shotgun with an obliterated serial number; a 12-gauge semi-auto shotgun without visible serial numbers; and a 9mm semi-auto pistol without visible serial numbers. Despite denying ownership of the bags, several Amtrak employees identified Brown as the individual who placed them on the train.
The case is being prosecuted by the U.S. Attorney’s Office with investigations conducted by the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives (ATF), Libby Police Department, Lincoln County Sheriff’s Office, FBI, and Montana Probation and Parole.
This prosecution falls under Project Safe Neighborhoods (PSN), an initiative aimed at reducing violent crime and gun violence through community collaboration with law enforcement agencies.
