New Haven Man Guilty Of Having Guns, 1 Converted To Machine Gun: Feds

NEW HAVEN, CT —Duayne Nelson, 31, of New Haven, pleaded guilty in New Haven federal court to unlawful possession of firearms by a felon, Vanessa Roberts Avery, US Attorney for Connecticut announced.

Avery said that, according to court documents and statements made in court, on July 14, 2022, Nelson was arrested in West Haven after he was found with a Taurus G3C 9mm handgun with 12-round magazine. He also had, Avery said, a Glock 27 .40 caliber handgun with a 13-round extended magazine and fitted with a “sear switch” that made the gun fully automatic.

Nelson’s criminal history included state convictions for criminal weapon possession and second-degree robbery, Avery said and court records show.

Avery noted that it's 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.

Nelson, released on a $100,000 bond, is scheduled to be sentenced in U.S. District Court Feb. 20, 2024, when he faces a maximum of 15 years in prison, the prosecutor said.