United States Attorney's Office District of Connecticut
Press Release

Project Safe Neighborhoods: NEW HAVEN MAN SENTENCED ON GUN CHARGE

Kevin J. O'Connor, United States Attorney for the District of Connecticut, announced that GERALDO GARCIA, age 31, formerly of 497 Washington Avenue, New Haven, Connecticut, was sentenced today to 60 months' imprisonment and three years of supervised release for illegal possession of a firearm by a person previously convicted of a felony. The sentence was imposed by U.S. District Judge Janet Bond Arterton in New Haven this afternoon.

GARCIA was convicted by a jury on November 6, 2003, following a three-day trial, and faced a maximum of ten years' imprisonment for his offense. In imposing a reduced sentence, Judge Arterton credited the defendant for assistance he provided to local authorities in the recovery of a stolen firearm.

The case was investigated by members of the East Haven and New Haven Police Departments and Special Agents of the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco and Firearms, and was prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorneys David J. Sheldon and Peter S. Jongbloed.

U.S. Attorney O'Connor noted that this prosecution is part of the Project Safe Neighborhoods violence reduction initiative undertaken by the New Haven Department of Police Service, the United States Attorney's Office, and the State's Attorney's Office. The initiative is aimed at reducing gun violence, deterring illegal possession of guns, and improving the safety of residents in New Haven and throughout Connecticut. It is also a goal of the project to help ex-offenders obtain jobs, job-training, substance abuse counseling, and a variety of other social services that are available in New Haven. Participants include community members and organizations as well as federal, state and local law enforcement agencies. More information on the nationwide Project Safe Neighborhoods Initiative can be found at www.psn.gov.

CONTACT:

U.S. ATTORNEY'S OFFICE
Tom Carson
(203) 821-3722
thomas.carson@usdoj.gov