David X. Sullivan, United States Attorney for the District of Connecticut, announced that Jose Colon, 37, of Wolcott, was sentenced to 37 months in federal prison. The sentence was handed down by U.S. District Judge Vernon D. Oliver in Hartford and includes three years of supervised release following imprisonment for a firearm offense.
Court documents and statements revealed that on March 13, 2024, Waterbury Police arrested Colon after he discarded a privately made 9mm handgun during a foot pursuit. This "ghost gun" was loaded with six rounds of ammunition.
Colon has previous felony convictions in Connecticut for assault, weapon-related offenses, and risk of injury offenses. Under federal law, individuals previously convicted of a felony are prohibited from possessing firearms or ammunition that have moved in interstate or foreign commerce.
Colon has been detained since his arrest and pleaded guilty on February 20, 2025, to unlawful possession of ammunition by a felon.
The investigation was conducted by the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives (ATF) and the Waterbury Police Department. Assistant U.S. Attorney Kenneth L. Gresham prosecuted the case through Project Safe Neighborhoods (PSN). This program aims to reduce gun violence and other violent crime by bringing together all levels of law enforcement with communities to make neighborhoods safer.
For more information about Project Safe Neighborhoods, visit www.justice.gov/psn.
