Leonard C Boyle, Acting United States Attorney for the District of Connecticut, and James Ferguson, Special Agent in Charge, ATF Boston Field Division, and Waterbury Police Chief Fernando C. Spagnolo, today announced that a federal grand jury in Hartford has returned an indictment charging DEANDRE GREEN, 32, of Waterbury, with unlawful possession of a firearm by a felon.
The indictment was returned under seal on May 4, 2021. Green appeared today via videoconference before U.S. Magistrate Judge Sarah A. L. Merriam and entered a plea of not guilty. He has been detained since his arrest on related state charges on January 31, 2021.
As alleged in the indictment, on January 31, 2021, Green possessed a loaded Diamondback DB9 9mm handgun with an obliterated serial number.
It is further alleged that Green’s criminal history includes state felony convictions for criminal possession of a firearm, possession of firearm without a permit, attempted assault in the second degree, and forgery in the first degree. 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, Green faces a maximum term of imprisonment of 10 years.
Acting 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 Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms, and Explosives, and the Waterbury Police Departments. The case is being prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney Natasha M. Freismuth.
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.
Our nation-wide commitment to reducing gun crime in America.
Making sure that victims of federal crimes are treated with compassion, fairness and respect.