John H. Durham, United States Attorney for the District of Connecticut, today announced that a federal grand jury in Hartford returned an indictment yesterday charging DEMETRIUS DREW, 25, of New Haven, with one count of possession of a firearm by a convicted felon, and one count of possession of ammunition by a convicted felon.
This prosecution is part of a coordinated federal, state and local law enforcement effort to address rising gun violence in New Haven. Participating in this effort are the New Haven Police Department; the FBI’s New Haven Safe Streets/Gang Task Force; the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives; the Drug Enforcement Administration; the New Haven State’s Attorney’s Office, and the U.S. Attorney’s Office.
As alleged in court documents, on Aug. 18, 2020, a court-authorized search of Drew’s New Haven residence revealed a loaded Glock model 26, 9mm pistol and a box containing 50 rounds of.38 Special ammunition. Prior to that date, Drew was convicted in state court of felony narcotics and larceny offenses.
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.
Drew has been detained in state custody since his arrest by New Haven Police on Aug. 18, 2020.
If convicted, Drew faces a maximum term of imprisonment of 10 years on each count.
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 New Haven Police Department and the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives (ATF). The case is being prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorneys Tara E. Levens and Anthony E. Kaplan.
U.S. Attorney Durham noted that this prosecution is a part of the Justice’s Department’s Project Safe Neighborhoods (PSN) program and Project Longevity. PSN is a program bringing together all levels of law enforcement and the communities they serve to reduce violent crime and make neighborhoods safer for everyone. Project Longevity is a comprehensive initiative to reduce gun violence in Connecticut’s major cities. Through Project Longevity, community members and law enforcement directly engage with members of groups that are prone to commit violence and deliver a community message against violence, a law enforcement message about the consequences of further violence and an offer of help for those who want it.
Source: U.S. Department of Justice, Office of the United States Attorneys
