West Haven Man Sentenced In Firearms Trafficking Case: U.S. Attorney

WEST HAVEN, CT — A 24-year-old West Haven man was sentenced this week to 27 months in prison, followed by three years of supervised release, in connection with a federal firearm trafficking case, announced U.S. Attorney Vanessa Roberts Avery.

Tremayne Ferguson, also known as "Tre," was sentenced Wednesday by U.S. District Judge Omar A. Williams in Hartford. Ferguson was arrested in December 2023, and in September of this year, he pleaded guilty to firearm trafficking conspiracy.

Currently free on bond, Ferguson must report to prison on Feb. 17, 2025.

According to court documents and statements, the case began in July 2023, with the shooting of Stefan Bagley, Jr., who was shot and wounded while traveling in his vehicle in Bridgeport. On the same day as that shooting, Bagley’s vehicle was used in another shooting incident in Bridgeport, according to prosecutors.

An investigation revealed that, between October 2022 and October 2023, Bagley purchased more than 20 handguns from licensed firearm dealers and then trafficked the guns to a network of customers. Bagley typically scratched the serial numbers off of the firearms before providing them to his customers, making the guns more difficult to trace.

During the investigation, law enforcement seized text messages revealing that Ferguson transported and facilitated the transport of two firearms from Bagley to other individuals. Ferguson also asked Bagley to purchase firearms on his behalf, according to prosecutors.

At the time of his arrest, Ferguson was on state probation.

Bagley pleaded guilty to the same charge and awaits sentencing. Most of the firearms trafficked by Bagley are unaccounted for.

From the Avery announcement:

U.S. Attorney Avery noted that this case is being prosecuted, in part, under the new criminal provisions of the Bipartisan Safer Communities Act, which Congress enacted and the President signed in June 2022. The Act is the first federal statute specifically designed to target the unlawful trafficking and straw-purchasing of firearms.

This matter is being investigated by Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms, and Explosives (ATF), the Bridgeport Police Department, and the Connecticut State Police. The case is being prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney Kenneth L. Gresham.

This case is part of 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.