Bridgeport Man Sentenced In Federal Gun Trafficking Case

BRIDGEPORT, CT — A 39-year-old Bridgeport man was sentenced this week to 42 months in prison, followed by three years of supervised release, for trafficking firearms from Georgia to Connecticut, according to United States Attorney Vanessa Roberts Avery.

Tyree Thomas was sentenced by U.S. District Judge Victor A. Bolden in New Haven; in June, Thomas pleaded guilty to crossing state lines with the intent to engage in the unlawful dealing of firearms.

He was arrested in September 2023 and is currently free on $100,000 bond; Thomas must report to federal prison on Jan. 7.

According to court documents and statements, Thomas’ criminal history includes felony convictions, and he is prohibited from purchasing firearms.

Between approximately August and December 2021, Thomas traveled to Georgia multiple times, and while using a family member as a straw purchaser, he acquired approximately 24 firearms. He then brought the firearms back to Connecticut, where he sold or transferred them to others, including felons, gang members, and juveniles, according to prosecutors.

Nine of the firearms that Thomas acquired in Georgia have been recovered by law enforcement in Connecticut, including three that were seized during traffic stops, one of which was possessed by a juvenile. Another weapon was in the possession of felon who was subsequently federally prosecuted for the offense.

One of the guns was used in a Bridgeport shooting incident in August 2022, that resulted in the death of one of the victim and injury to two others; another was recovered from a Bridgeport murder suspect who used it to commit suicide during a standoff with law enforcement in Tennessee in June 2022. And one that was recovered from a homicide victim in Meriden in March 2023. Fifteen of the guns have not been located.

This matter was investigated by the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives (ATF), and the Bridgeport Police Department. The case was prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorneys Lauren Clark and Rahul Kale. through Project Safe Neighborhoods (PSN), a program bringing together all levels of law enforcement and the communities they serve to reduce gun violence and other violent crime, and to make our neighborhoods safer for everyone. In May 2021, the Justice Department launched a violent crime reduction strategy strengthening PSN based on these core principles: fostering trust and legitimacy in our communities, supporting community-based organizations that help prevent violence from occurring in the first place, setting focused and strategic enforcement priorities, and measuring the results. For more information about Project Safe Neighborhoods, please visit www.justice.gov/PSN.