Source: United States Department of Justice News
Leonard C Boyle, United States Attorney for the District of Connecticut, David Sundberg, Special Agent in Charge of the New Haven Division of the Federal Bureau of Investigation, and Manchester Police Chief William Darby today announced that a federal grand jury in Bridgeport has returned an indictment charging ELLIOTT OTERO, 32, of Manchester, with unlawful possession of a firearm by a felon.
The indictment was returned under seal on April 20, 2022. Otero appeared yesterday before U.S. Magistrate Judge Robert A. Richardson in Hartford and entered a plea of not guilty. He has been detained since his arrest on related state charges on February 25, 2022.
As alleged in the indictment, on February 25, 2022, Otero possessed a loaded Smith & Wesson M&P 380 Shield pistol.
It is further alleged that Otero’s criminal history includes state felony convictions for firearm, robbery and larceny offenses. It is a violation of federal law for a person previously convicted of a felony offense to possess a firearm or ammunition that has moved in interstate or foreign commerce.
If convicted of the charge, Otero faces a maximum term of imprisonment of 10 years.
U.S. Attorney Boyle stressed that an indictment is not evidence of guilt. Charges are only allegations, and the defendant is presumed innocent unless and until proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt.
This matter is being investigated by Federal Bureau of Investigation Connecticut Violent Crime Task Force and the Manchester Police Department. The case is being prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney Katherine E. Boyles.
This case is part of Project Safe Neighborhoods (PSN), the centerpiece of the Department of Justice’s violent crime reduction efforts. PSN is an evidence-based program proven to be effective at reducing violent crime. Through PSN, a broad spectrum of stakeholders work together to identify the most pressing violent crime problems in the community and develop comprehensive solutions to address them. As part of this strategy, PSN focuses enforcement efforts on the most violent offenders and partners with locally based prevention and reentry programs for lasting reductions in crime.