Nikolas Kerest U.S. Attorney | U.S. Attorney for the District of Vermont
John Austin, a 30-year-old Michigan native residing in South Burlington, Vermont, has pleaded not guilty to a federal firearms charge. The United States Attorney’s Office for the District of Vermont announced that Austin appeared in United States District Court in Burlington to face accusations of unlawfully possessing a pistol as a convicted felon. U.S. Magistrate Judge Kevin Doyle ordered Austin to be held without bail pending trial.
Austin is currently under the primary custody of the Vermont Department of Corrections due to an aggravated assault charge from 2023 related to a shootout in Burlington's Old North End. In November, a federal grand jury indicted Austin on one count, alleging he possessed a semi-automatic pistol in April 2024. Due to multiple felony convictions in Michigan, Austin is prohibited from firearm possession.
Court records indicate that police found a stolen rental car containing a loaded .40 caliber semi-automatic pistol with Austin's fingerprints on it. The United States Attorney stated that "the charge in the indictment is merely an accusation," and emphasized that "the defendant is presumed innocent unless and until he is proven guilty." If convicted, Austin could face up to 15 years imprisonment and fines up to $250,000.
The case was investigated by local police departments and the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives. Assistant U.S. Attorney Gregory Waples will prosecute the case while Austin receives representation from the Office of the Federal Public Defender.
This legal action falls under Project Safe Neighborhoods (PSN), aimed at reducing violent crime and gun violence through collaboration between law enforcement and communities. For more information about PSN, visit Justice.gov/PSN.