HARTFORD, CT – John H. Durham, United States Attorney for the District of Connecticut, announced that BRIAN EVANS, 21, of Hartford, was sentenced today by U.S. District Judge Jeffrey A. Meyer in New Haven to 30 months of imprisonment, followed by three years of supervised release, for fentanyl distribution and firearm possession offenses.
According to court documents and statements made in court, in July 2019, after a spate of gun violence in Hartford, the FBI’s Northern Connecticut Gang Task Force, DEA, Hartford Police Department and other law enforcement agencies initiated an investigation targeting gang-related drug distribution and associated violence in north Hartford. On August 7, 2019, investigators made a controlled purchase of fentanyl from Evans.
Evans was arrested on September 13, 2019. On that date, investigators searched his residence and seized a loaded semiautomatic pistol, a loaded handgun with no serial number, and $1,025 in cash.
In May 2014, Evans was convicted in state court of first degree robbery and conspiracy to commit first degree robbery. 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.
On June 10, 2020, Evans pleaded guilty to one count of possession with intent to distribute, and distribution of fentanyl, and one count of possession of a firearm by a convicted felon.
Evans, who is released on a $50,000 bond, is required to report to prison on January 6, 2021.
The FBI’s Northern Connecticut Gang Task Force includes members of the Hartford Police Department, East Hartford Police Department, Connecticut State Police and Connecticut Department of Correction.
This case was prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney Michael J. Gustafson.
This case is part of Project Safe Neighborhoods (PSN), a program bringing together all levels of law enforcement and the communities they serve to reduce violent crime and make neighborhoods safer for everyone.