Javon Morse, 30, of Norwich, pleaded guilty on Mar. 18 before U.S. District Judge Sarala V. Nagala in Hartford to charges related to cocaine distribution and unlawful possession of a firearm by a felon, according to an announcement from David X. Sullivan, United States Attorney for the District of Connecticut.
The case highlights ongoing concerns about recidivism and public safety when individuals released from federal custody commit new offenses while under supervision.
Court documents show that Morse was previously sentenced in December 2017 to five years in prison and four years of supervised release for trafficking cocaine. He was released from prison in January 2021. While still on federal supervised release, Morse fled from Norwich Police during a traffic stop on October 14, 2024. After fleeing, he went to a storage facility where he maintained a unit. As police attempted another stop, Morse threw a backpack from his vehicle before being apprehended with $2,356 in cash.
A search of the discarded backpack revealed nearly one kilogram of cocaine, narcotic pills, and items used for processing and packaging drugs. Further searches uncovered four handguns—including two "ghost guns"—loaded magazines including high-capacity ones, ammunition, approximately ten pounds of marijuana, methamphetamine, crack cocaine, additional narcotic pills, more drug paraphernalia, and $4,449 in cash.
Morse has been detained since December 12, 2024. He pleaded guilty to possession with intent to distribute at least 500 grams of cocaine—a charge carrying a mandatory minimum sentence of five years and up to forty years—and unlawful possession of a firearm by a felon which carries up to fifteen years imprisonment. Additional penalties may apply if it is determined that he violated conditions of his supervised release.
Sentencing is scheduled for June 30. The investigation was conducted by the Norwich Police Department, Connecticut State Police, and the Federal Bureau of Investigation. Assistant U.S. Attorney Patricia Stolfi Collins is prosecuting the case.
