A federal jury in Bridgeport has found Morris Carter III, also known as “Mo,” guilty of firearm offenses. The announcement was made by David X. Sullivan, United States Attorney for the District of Connecticut.
Evidence presented at trial showed that on February 19, 2023, Carter was involved in a fight at a convenience store in Hartford. Surveillance video captured Carter holding a firearm and striking another individual with a firearm magazine, which caused ammunition to fall out during the incident. After leaving the scene, Carter drove toward Wethersfield and threw two handguns from his vehicle. Police later stopped his car and discovered a loaded magazine under the passenger seat.
That same morning, Wethersfield police recovered both discarded firearms along with additional magazines and ammunition after receiving a call from a local resident who found one of the guns at her driveway. Ammunition from the altercation was also collected at the convenience store.
Carter has a prior federal conviction from 2013 for conspiracy to distribute crack cocaine. Federal law prohibits individuals convicted of felony offenses from possessing firearms or ammunition that have traveled through interstate or foreign commerce.
The jury convicted Carter on one count of unlawful possession of a firearm by a felon, which could result in up to 15 years in prison, and one count of possession of a firearm with an obliterated serial number, carrying up to five years’ imprisonment.
At the time of this offense, Carter was on federal supervised release and now faces further penalties for violating those conditions. He has been detained since his arrest on February 19, 2023.
The investigation involved the Federal Bureau of Investigation, Hartford Police Department, and Wethersfield Police Department. Assistant U.S. Attorneys Nathaniel J. Gentile and Sean P. Mahard are prosecuting the case as part of Project Safe Neighborhoods (PSN), an initiative aimed at reducing gun violence by coordinating efforts between law enforcement agencies and communities (https://www.justice.gov/psn).
“This matter has been investigated by the Federal Bureau of Investigation, the Hartford Police Department, and the Wethersfield Police Department,” said Sullivan’s office.
“For more information about Project Safe Neighborhoods, please visit www.justice.gov/psn.”
