Hartford, Vermont man sentenced to 24 months’ imprisonment for possession of unregistered silencer (DOJ)

BURLINGTON - The United States Attorney's Office for the District of Vermont stated that on August 18, 2026, Joseph Vaillancourt, 43, of Hartford, Vermont, was sentenced by Chief United States District Judge Christina Reiss to a term of 24 months' imprisonment to be followed by a 3-year term of supervised release. The sentence will run concurrent to any sentence imposed in a pending Windsor County, Vermont case. Vaillancourt previously pleaded guilty to knowing possession of the silencer in June 2026.

According to court records, in November 2024, law enforcement recovered 13 firearms, the charged silencer, and over 1,200 rounds of ammunition from Vaillancourt's apartment during execution of a search warrant on an unrelated offense. The firearms seized from the apartment have been administratively forfeited. Officers also found evidence of an apparent marijuana distribution operation in the apartment. The National Firearms Act requires registration of all silencers, including homemade silencers like the one Vaillancourt possessed.

First Assistant United States Attorney Jonathan A. Ophardt commended the collaborative investigatory efforts of the Hartford, Vermont Police Department, the U.S. Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms, and Explosives (ATF), and Homeland Security Investigations (HSI) in preparing the case.

The case was prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney Eugenia Cowles. Vaillancourt was represented by Assistant Federal Public Defender Emily Kenyon.

Project Safe Neighborhoods (PSN) is the Department of Justice's nationwide initiative that brings federal, state, local, and tribal law enforcement, prosecutors, and other public safety partners together to coordinate efforts to combat violent crime and make communities safe. Coordinated by U.S. Attorneys' offices in each of the 94 federal districts, PSN is tailored to particular communities to strategically address specific violent crime and public safety challenges. As a key component of Operation Take Back America, PSN serves a central role in the Department's commitment to make our country safe. PSN emphasizes three core principles: rapid federal response to violent crime and criminal offenders; strong, strategic partnerships among law enforcement at all levels; and accountability and deterrence through the prosecution of the most serious, readily provable offenses and other strategies. These efforts complement and strengthen President Trump's Homeland Security Task Forces, ensuring a comprehensive federal response to the most pressing public safety issues facing communities.