Feds Charge Coventry Man for Lying on ATF Form to Buy Gun

COVENTRY, RI—Federal authorities have charged a Coventry man with lying on federal forms when he failed to disclose he was subject to a restraining order while trying to buy a gun.

And, said U.S. Attorney Peter F. Neronha, when confronted, he "denied that he was the subject of a domestic violence restraining order issued by the Family Court, when in fact he is."

Bradley Allen, 25, is now on home confinement with a GPS monitoring device after his initial appearance in U.S. District Court in Providence on Wednesday on federal charges.

According to court records, Allen expressed interest in buying a gun on Feb. 13 from a licensed West Warwick firearms dealer.

On an Alcohol, Tobacco and Firearms form, Allen did not disclose that he was subject to the protective order, which was discovered during a subsequent background investigation by agents.

The restraining order was issued in 2014 and remains in effect until Dec. 1 of 2017.

Allen was contacted by an ATF agent by phone on March 28 about the form. After, he was scheduled to appear in person at a local ATF office within two days to "further discuss his alleged claim" he was not subject to a protective order, according to a U.S. Attorney's Office release.

Allen failed to show up at the ATF office or contact the agent.

Allen was arrested on Wednesday by the Coventry Police Department and ATF agents.

He was released after an initial appearance before U.S. District Court Magistrate Judge Lincoln D. Almond on charges of providing false statements to a firearms dealer and making false statements to a firearms dealer.