Source: United States Department of Justice News
Vanessa Roberts Avery, United States Attorney for the District of Connecticut, and James M. Ferguson, Special Agent in Charge, ATF Boston Field Division, today announced that a federal grand jury in New Haven returned an indictment yesterday charging LUIS JAVIER LOPEZ, 23, of New Britain, with unlawful possession of a firearm and ammunition by a felon.
The indictment alleges that, on February 26, 2022, Lopez possessed a loaded Taurus G3 9mm pistol and a magazine containing 9mm ammunition.
It is further alleged that Lopez has been previously convicted in state court of possession with intent to sell a controlled substance. 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.
The indictment charges Lopez with one count of possession of a firearm by a felon, and one count of possession of ammunition by a felon. Each charge carries a maximum term of imprisonment of 10 years.
U.S. Attorney Avery 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.
Lopez has been detained since his arrest on related state charges by Hartford Police on February 26, 2022.
This matter is being investigated by the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms, and Explosives and the Hartford Police Department. This case is being prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorneys Stephanie T. Levick and Angel M. Krull.
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.