Coventry Man Indicted for Lying on ATF Form to Buy a Gun

COVENTRY, RI—A Coventry man has been indicted on two counts of making false statements of federal forms by failing to disclose a restraining order against him while attempting to buy a gun.

Bradley Richard Allen, 25, of Coventry, was charged by federal authorities in May and has been on home confinement since his arraignment in U.S. District Court in Providence. A federal grand jury returned the two-count indictment on Thursday and Allen will appear in court on Aug. 19 for arraignment.

Court records show that law enforcement officials conducting a background check saw that Allen claimed on an ATF form that he wasn't subject to a protective order despite one being issued by Rhode Island Family Court on Dec. 1 of 2014.

That order remains in effect until 2017 but Allen told an ATF agent who called him during the background check process that there was no restraining order. Allen was then asked to come to a local ATF office to "further discuss his claim that he was not subject to a protective order," according to U.S. Attorney Peter F. Neronha. "Allen failed to respond to the ATF office or to contact the agent."

Allen was subsequently arrested by Coventry police and ATF agents and has been awaiting the grand jury.

The indictment charges Allen with one count of false statement during the attempted purchase of a firearm and one count of false statement to a federally licensed gun dealer.

Each charge carries a potential fine of up to $250,000. The false statement during the attempted purchase charge carries a prison sentence of up to 10 years if Allen is convicted. The false statement to a federally licensed gun dealer charge carries a penalty of up to five years.