John H. Durham, United States Attorney for the District of Connecticut, announced that JOEL CRUZ-BERRIOS, also known as “Krack," 23, of New Haven, was sentenced today by U.S. District Judge Michael P. Shea in Hartford to approximately 15 months of imprisonment, time already served, and three years of supervised release, for illegally possessing firearms.
According to court documents and statements made in court, in January 2019, Cruz-Berrios arranged to trade firearms with an individual in Stamford. On Jan. 22, 2019, Stamford Police officers arrested Cruz-Berrios, Nyejire Redmond and Victor Berrios-Sanchez after they traveled from New Haven to a parking garage in Stamford. At the time the arrests, Berrios-Sanchez possessed a loaded.22 caliber revolver, a.25 caliber semi-automatic handgun and three.25 caliber rounds of ammunition, and Redmond possessed a loaded.45 caliber automatic handgun that had been reported stolen in New Britain in December 2018. Redmond was sitting in the backseat of the vehicle next to a sleeping, unrestrained child who was approximately two years old.
Cruz-Berrios has three prior convictions, and he was on probation from a prior felony conviction when he was arrested in this case.
Cruz-Berrios has been detained in state custody since March 13, 2019. On November 4, 2019, he pleaded guilty to one count of possession of firearm by a convicted felon.
Redmond previously pleaded guilty to possessing a stolen firearm and, on April 16, 2020, was sentenced to approximately 15 months of imprisonment, time served. Berrios-Sanchez, of New Haven, pleaded guilty in state court to firearm offenses and was sentenced to 31 months of incarceration.
This matter was investigated by the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives (ATF) and the Stamford Police Department. The case was prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney Maria del Pilar Gonzalez.
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
