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 Hartford has returned an indictment charging NIQUELLE LANDELIUS, 26, of New Haven, with firearm and narcotics offenses.
The indictment, which was returned yesterday, alleges that on February 22, 2022, Landelius possessed a 9mm semi-automatic pistol, which had no serial number or manufacturer information, loaded with nine rounds of ammunition. On that date, Landelius also possessed quantities of crack cocaine and heroin that he intended to distribute.
The indictment further alleges that Landelius’ criminal history includes state convictions for felony narcotics 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.
The indictment charges Landelius with one count of unlawful possession of ammunition by a felon, which carries a maximum term of imprisonment of 10 years, and one count of possession with intent to distribute cocaine base (“crack”) and heroin, which carries a maximum term of imprisonment of 20 years.
Landelius was arrested on state charges on February 22, 2022, and is currently in state custody. His federal arraignment is not scheduled.
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.
This matter is being investigated by the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms, and Explosives (ATF) and the New Haven Police Department. This case is being prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney Stephanie T. Levick.
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.