John H. Durham, United States Attorney for the District of Connecticut, announced that WILLIAM SCOTT, 40, of Springfield, Massachusetts, was sentenced today by U.S. District Judge Janet Bond Arterton in New Haven to 27 months of imprisonment, followed by three years of supervised release, for illegally possessing a loaded firearm in Hartford.
According to court documents and statements made in court, on July 2, 2018, Hartford Police responded to a residence after a complaint that Scott was in possession of a gun. Officers located Scott near the residence. A subsequent search of Scott’s car revealed a loaded Smith and Wesson.380 caliber pistol.
Scott’s criminal history includes felony convictions in Massachusetts in 2003 and 2012 for possession of cocaine with intent to distribute and, in 2012, for unlawful possession of a firearm.
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.
Scott has been detained since his arrest on July 2, 2018. On March 29, 2019, he pleaded guilty to one count of possession of a firearm and ammunition by a convicted felon.
This matter was investigated by the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives, and the Hartford Police Department. The case was prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney Michael J. Gustafson.
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
