Cavendish man gets 14 months in jail on firearms charge

The U.S. Attorney’s Office for the District of Vermont stated that yesterday, Thursday, May 23,  Mitchell Horton, 37, of Cavendish, was sentenced by Chief U.S. District Judge Geoffrey W. Crawford to a term of 14 months’ imprisonment to be followed by a 3-year term of supervised release.

Horton previously pleaded guilty to receiving a firearm while under indictment for a New Hampshire felony. According to VTDigger, he also had been accused of stealing a Dartmouth-Hitchcock shuttle bus and had eight felony convictions and nine pending court dockets in Windsor County.

According to court records, on April 3, 2023, Horton possessed a Smith and Wesson .380 semi-automatic pistol in his waistband. Vermont State Police seized this firearm from Horton upon his arrest for the theft of diesel fuel in Cavendish on April 3, 2023.

Following his arrest, Horton admitted to law enforcement that he purchased the pistol from another person. On or about April 3, 2023, Horton knew that he was under indictment in New Hampshire for Theft by Unauthorized Taking, a Class A felony that carries a maximum penalty of 15 years of imprisonment.

U.S. Attorney Nikolas P. Kerest commended the collaborative investigatory efforts of the Vermont State Police, the FBI, the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms, and Explosives, and the Office of the Grafton (N.H.) County Attorney. The case was prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorneys Gregory L. Waples and Zachary B. Stendig. Horton was represented by Assistant Federal Public Defender Sara Puls, Esq.

This case is part of Project Safe Neighborhoods, a program bringing together all levels of law enforcement and the communities they serve to reduce violent crime and gun violence, and to make our neighborhoods safer for everyone.