Marc H. Silverman, the Acting United States Attorney for the District of Connecticut, has announced that Jason Barber, a 40-year-old resident of Hartford, has pleaded guilty to unlawful possession of a firearm by a felon in federal court.

Court documents reveal that on March 2, 2022, law enforcement was alerted to Barber streaming on Facebook Live while displaying a loaded pistol magazine from inside a vehicle. Officers tracked down the vehicle parked on Barbour Street and subsequently followed Barber into a nearby package store. Upon approaching him, officers retrieved a Kahr Arms P45 handgun with a magazine containing five rounds of .45 caliber ammunition from his coat pocket.

Barber's criminal record includes state felony convictions related to firearms, robbery, drugs, and escape offenses. Federal law prohibits individuals previously convicted of felony offenses from possessing firearms or ammunition that have been transported in interstate or foreign commerce.

Barber's sentencing date is yet to be scheduled; however, he faces up to 15 years in prison. He is currently released on a $100,000 bond.

The investigation was carried out by the Federal Bureau of Investigation alongside the Hartford Police Department. Assistant U.S. Attorney Patricia Stolfi Collins is prosecuting the case.

This prosecution is part of Project Safe Neighborhoods (PSN), an initiative aimed at reducing gun violence and other violent crimes through collaboration between law enforcement agencies and communities. The Justice Department reinforced this strategy in May 2021 with principles focused on community trust and legitimacy, support for violence prevention organizations, strategic enforcement priorities, and result measurement.

For more details about Project Safe Neighborhoods, visit www.justice.gov/psn.