A 39-year-old Lawrence man was sentenced Monday in U.S. District Court in Boston for being a felon in possession of a firearm and ammunition.
Stephen Skeirik was sentenced by U.S. Senior District Court Judge Mark L. Wolf to seven years in prison followed by three years of supervised release. This past May, Skeirik pleaded guilty to the same charges.
On Feb. 27, 2020, police saw Skeirik and another person involved in what appeared to be a drug deal. When Skeirik was approached, police said, he ran and threw a loaded Ruger .380 caliber pistol into a neighbor’s yard. During a search of his home, a stolen Ruger 9mm pistol loaded with seven rounds of ammunition was taken along with tools for drug distribution, cutting agents and drugs.
Due to a previous conviction for felony drug distribution, Skeirik is prohibited from possessing firearms and ammunition.
Acting U.S. Attorney Joshua S. Levy and James M. Ferguson, special agent in charge of the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives, Boston Field Division credited the Lawrence Police Department and the Essex County District Attorney’s office with providing assistance.