John H. Durham, United States Attorney for the District of Connecticut, today announced that a federal grand jury in Hartford has returned an indictment charging DAMON HILL, 39, of Hartford, with one count of possession of a firearm a by a convicted felon.
The indictment was returned on February 5, 2019. Hill appeared today before U.S. Magistrate Judge Donna F. Martinez in Hartford and entered a plea of not guilty to the offense.
The indictment alleges that, on Oct. 23, 2018, Hill unlawfully possessed a Smith and Wesson.40 caliber semi-automatic firearm in Hartford.
It is further alleged that Hill’s criminal history includes a 2005 state felony conviction for possession of narcotics, and a 2006 federal felony conviction for conspiring to distribute cocaine base (“crack cocaine").
It is a violation of federal law for a person previously convicted of a felony offense to possess a firearm or ammunition that has moved in interstate or foreign commerce.
If convicted of the offense, Hill faces a maximum term of imprisonment of 10 years and a fine of up to $250,000.
Hill has been detained since his arrest by Hartford Police on Oct. 23, 2018.
U.S. Attorney Durham stressed that an indictment is not evidence of guilt. Charges are only allegations, and a defendant is presumed innocent unless and until proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt.
This matter is being investigated by the FBI’s Connecticut Violent Crime Task Force and the Hartford Police Department. The case is being prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney Anastasia E. King.
This prosecution has been brought through Project Safe Neighborhoods (PSN), a program bringing together all levels of law enforcement and the communities they serve to reduce violent crime and make neighborhoods safer for everyone.
Source: U.S. Department of Justice, Office of the United States Attorneys
