A Bloomfield man has pleaded guilty in federal court to drug and firearm offenses. Brandon C. Tyson, 29, entered his plea on July 31 in Hartford, according to David X. Sullivan, United States Attorney for the District of Connecticut, and Bryan DiGirolamo, Acting Special Agent in Charge of the ATF Boston Field Division.
Court documents and statements indicate that Tyson has previous state felony convictions for drug and assault offenses. Federal law prohibits individuals with felony convictions from possessing firearms or ammunition that have crossed state or international lines.
An investigation by the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives (ATF) found that Tyson unlawfully possessed a Glock 20, 9mm pistol in May 2021. Between May 2023 and March 2024, he also conspired to distribute cocaine and fentanyl. Authorities arrested Tyson on state charges on March 27, 2024, after searching his residence and finding about 1.7 kilograms of cocaine along with $16,700 in cash.
Tyson pleaded guilty to conspiracy to distribute and possess with intent to distribute at least 500 grams of cocaine and an unspecified amount of fentanyl. This charge carries a mandatory minimum prison sentence of five years and a maximum of forty years. He also pleaded guilty to unlawful possession of a firearm by a felon, which could result in up to ten years in prison. Sentencing is scheduled for October 29.
Tyson has been held since his federal arrest on September 19, 2024.
The case is being investigated by the ATF and prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorneys Robert S. Dearington and Sean P. Mahard as well as Trial Attorney Brian P. Leaming from the Criminal Division’s Violent Crime and Racketeering Section.
According to officials: “This prosecution is a part of the Justice Department’s Violent Crime Initiative (VCI) in Hartford, and the Organized Crime Drug Enforcement Task Force (OCDETF) and Project Safe Neighborhood (PSN) programs.”
