Illegal Acquisition of Guns Results in Jail Time for Jewett City Man

Jewett City man Brian Fletcher, 35, was sentenced on Jan. 13, to 72 months of imprisonment, followed by three years of supervised release, for the illegal straw purchase of a .308 rifle and his unlawful possession of firearms and ammunition.

According to a prepared statement from Deirdre M. Daly, United States Attorney for the District of Connecticut, a court-authorized search of Fletcher’s residence in November 2013 revealed the following:

• A Savage Arms, Axis XP .308 rifle
• A Smith & Wesson .40 caliber VE Handgun
• A .38 caliber Smith & Wesson Model 60 revolver
• Multiple rounds of ammunition and weapon magazines

Fletcher had previously been convicted of felonies in the Superior Court of the State of Connecticut, including accessory to robbery in the first degree, hindering prosecution in the second degree, possession of a pistol without a permit, and attempted assault in the first degree.

Daly said it is a violation of federal law to knowingly possess a stolen firearm, or for a convicted felon to possess a firearm or ammunition that has moved in interstate or foreign commerce.

“The investigation revealed that the .308 rifle was purchased in January 2013 by another individual at a sporting goods store in Lisbon,” she said. “Fletcher engaged in the straw purchase and financed the transaction, which was captured on in-store surveillance video.”

The .40 caliber handgun had been stolen from an owner in Oakdale and the .38 caliber revolver had been stolen from an owner in Waterford, she said.

“The investigation further revealed that on multiple occasions in 2013, Fletcher made unlawful efforts to obtain, and in some instances he successfully obtained, multiple rounds of different kinds of ammunition.

Fletcher has been detained since his arrest on November 22, 2013. On April 2, 2015, he pleaded guilty to one count of possession of firearms by a convicted felon.