Christopher Purvis, 29, has pleaded guilty in Bridgeport federal court to possession of a firearm in furtherance of a drug trafficking crime. The announcement was made by David X. Sullivan, United States Attorney for the District of Connecticut.
Court documents and statements indicate that on May 7, 2022, New Britain Police attempted to stop a vehicle with Purvis as an occupant. When officers approached, Purvis accelerated the car at high speed. After crashing the vehicle, Purvis and others fled the scene. A subsequent search uncovered fentanyl, cocaine, and a loaded Glock 9mm handgun reported stolen. DNA analysis linked both the firearm and drug packaging to Purvis.
Purvis is scheduled for sentencing on October 31. He faces a mandatory minimum prison term of five years and could receive up to life imprisonment.
He is currently serving a 72-month federal sentence related to fentanyl and cocaine trafficking in northern Vermont in 2022.
The investigation was conducted by the Drug Enforcement Administration’s Hartford Task Force and the New Britain Police Department. The task force includes personnel from multiple local police departments as well as state police. Assistant U.S. Attorneys Natasha Freismuth and Christopher Lembo are prosecuting the case.
"
