Vanessa Roberts Avery, United States Attorney for the District of Connecticut, and James Ferguson, Special Agent in Charge, ATF Boston Field Division, today announced that JACK JAKUPS, 39, of Trumbull, pleaded guilty yesterday before U.S. District Judge Jeffrey A. Meyer in New Haven to possession of firearms and ammunition by a felon.
According to court documents and statements made in court, Jakups’ criminal history includes state felony convictions for narcotics possession, burglary, robbery, larceny and escape offenses. In January 2019, Jakups was released from prison to Connecticut’s Special Parole program. On November 30, 2021, Jakups’ parole officer, with the assistance of ATF, conducted a search of Jakups’ residence and seized a Diamondback 9mm handgun, a Ruger 9mm pistol with an obliterated serial number, a privately made Glock-19-style firearm, a privately made AR-15-style firearm, and more than 300 rounds of ammunition.
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.
Judge Meyer scheduled sentencing for February 6, 2023, at which time Jakups faces a maximum term of imprisonment of 10 years.
Jakups has been detained in state custody since November 30, 2021.
This investigation is being conducted by the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms, and Explosives (ATF), with the assistance of Connecticut State Parole. The case is being prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorneys Lauren C. Clark and A. Reed Durham.
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.