Grafton man, 42, held on firearms charges

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A 42-year-old Grafton man has been charged with possessing a firearm, knowing that he had earlier been convicted of a felony.

The U.S.  Attorney’s Office stated in a press release last week that Terry Russ, 42, who lives on Anderson Road in Grafton, has been charged by criminal complaint with possessing a firearm. On Wednesday, Oct. 23 Russ appeared before U.S. Magistrate Judge Kevin J. Doyle in Burlington who ordered that Russ be detained before trial.

According to court records, a search warrant was executed at Russ’s residence in Grafton on Tuesday, Oct. 22, during which law enforcement recovered three firearms from the bedroom Russ had identified as his.

An on-and-off housemate of Russ, who was also present, stated that he had purchased cocaine base and fentanyl/heroin from Russ in Russ’s bedroom and that Russ displayed a silver pistol next to the drugs he was selling. The housemate’s description of the silver pistol’s appearance was consistent one of the firearms recovered from Russ’s bedroom.

The Brattleboro Reformer has reported that court records list as recovered from the upstairs bedroom a Taurus 9-mm pistol, a Ruger .45 caliber pistol and a Colt .45 caliber pistol.

The ATF said Russ is prohibited from possessing firearms because of his criminal record, which includes felony convictions in Cheshire County, N.H. for possession of a controlled drug on June 8, 2023 and in Windham County for a burglary on Oct, 28, 2014, according to the Reformer. The Reformer also reported that Russ was sentenced to 2 ½ to 5 years in prison after pleading guilty to a Guilford burglary that involved the theft of several firearms.

Russ faces up to 15 years in prison if convicted on the latest charges.