Vanessa Roberts Avery, United States Attorney for the District of Connecticut, today announced that NEVILLE WALTERS, 34, of Bristol, was sentenced yesterday by U.S. District Judge Jeffrey A. Meyer in New Haven to 48 months of imprisonment, followed by three years of supervised release.
According to court documents and statements made in court, in the early morning hours of April 4, 2020, Bristol Police received reports of gunshots being fired in the area of Davis Drive. Analysis of security video from a nearby residence revealed that the shots were fired from a light-colored Cadillac as it approached the intersection of Davis Drive and Jerome Avenue. Seven .40 caliber shell casings were recovered from the scene. Later that morning, officers responded to a report of a disturbance at Walters’ residence on Prospect Street and observed a beige Cadillac with other features matching the description of the car that was involved in the shooting incident. Walters departed the residence before officers could question him.
In the early evening of April 4, Farmington Police were called to local gas station on a report of a burning vehicle. Responding officers stopped Walters and an associate as they walked away from the gas station. Walters was arrested on state charges after officers recovered a loaded .40 caliber handgun and a small amount of marijuana on the ground nearby.
After Walters’ state arrest and while he was released on bond, Walters posted on his Instagram page multiple images of him in possession of firearms. On May 12, 2020, Bristol Police executed a state search warrant at Walters’ residence and seized two handguns, a high-capacity magazine, fentanyl and marijuana, items used to process and package drugs for street sale, and other items. Investigators also seized $2,827 from Walters’ person. Walters was arrested on state charges and was again released on bond. Shortly thereafter, law enforcement received a report that Walters brandished a firearm during an argument outside of his residence on approximately May 14, 2020.
Walters has been detained since his federal arrest on May 22, 2020. On May 16, 2022, he pleaded guilty to possession with intent to distribute controlled substances.
This matter was investigated by the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives (ATF), the Bristol Police Department and the Farmington Police Department. The case was prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorneys Margaret Donovan and Konstantin Lantsman.
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.