Boston Man Charged with Being a Felon in Possession of a Firearm and Failing to Register as a Sex Offender

BOSTON – A Boston man was arrested today and charged with illegal firearm possession and failing to register as a sex offender.

Shane Brown, 35, was indicted on one count of being a felon in possession of a firearm and ammunition and one count of failing to register as a sex offender. Brown made an initial appearance in federal court in Boston today, and was detained pending a detention hearing scheduled for Sept. 16, 2020.

According to the indictment, on July 2, 2020, Brown possessed an SCCY Industries, model CPX-2, 9mm caliber pistol and seven 9mm Luger cartridges. Due to a previous conviction for a crime punishable by at least one year in prison, Brown is prohibited from possessing firearms and ammunition. Brown was also charged with failing to register as a sex offender between May 7, 2020 and July 2, 2020. 

The charge of being a felon in possession of a firearm and ammunition provides for a sentence of up to 10 years in prison, up to three years of supervised release and a fine of up to $250,000. The charge of failing to register as a sex offender carries a sentence of up to 10 years in prison, a minimum of five years and up to lifetime supervised release and a fine of $250,000. Sentences are imposed by a federal district court judge based on the U.S. Sentencing Guidelines and other statutory factors.

United States Attorney Andrew E. Lelling; U.S. Marshal John Gibbons for the District of Massachusetts; U.S. Marshal Thomas L. Foster of the Western District of Virginia; and Boston Police Commissioner William Gross made the announcement today. Assistant U.S. Attorney Elianna Nuzum of Lelling’s Major Crimes Unit is prosecuting the case.

This case is part of Project Safe Neighborhoods (PSN), the centerpiece of the Department of Justice’s violent crime reduction efforts.  PSN is an evidence-based program proven to be effective at reducing violent crime. Through PSN, a broad spectrum of stakeholders work together to identify the most pressing violent crime problems in the community and develop comprehensive solutions to address them. As part of this strategy, PSN focuses enforcement efforts on the most violent offenders and partners with locally based prevention and reentry programs for lasting reductions in crime.

The details contained in the indictment are allegations. The defendant is presumed innocent unless and until proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt in a court of law.