RUTLAND, Vt. (NEWS10) — A Rutland man was sentenced to 30 months in prison after pleading guilty to possessing two handguns as a convicted felon. Craig Wilkins, 38, was sentenced on Thursday.

According to the Department of Justice (DOJ), on October 31, 2021, Rutland Police and emergency medical personnel responded to a grocery store parking lot after someone called in that two people appeared unconscious inside of a car. When police arrived, they identified Wilkins in the driver’s seat.

Police said both were conscious but appeared to be under the influence of drugs. When asked to step out of the car, the DOJ says a round of ammunition fell to Wilkins’ feet. He was prohibited by federal law from possessing firearms or ammunition because of prior Vermont felony convictions for distributing narcotics, per the DOJ.

Authorities impounded the car and obtained a search warrant for it. Police say they found a backpack with two handguns, about 177 grams of cocaine base, and 15 grams of fentanyl. Agents then obtained an arrest warrant on April 12, 2022.

A federal grand jury in Burlington indicted Wilkins on drug and gun charges later that month. Wilkins pleaded guilty to the gun charge in September 2022.