United States Attorney's Office District of Connecticut
Press Release

Project Safe Neighborhoods: BRIDGEPORT FELON PLEADS GUILTY TO FEDERAL FIREARMS CHARGE

Kevin J. O'Connor, United States Attorney for the District of Connecticut, announced that WILLIAM TORRALES, age 30, formerly of 1410 East Main Street, Bridgeport, Connecticut, pleaded guilty today in Hartford to one count of possession of a firearm by a previously convicted felon. TORRALES' plea of guilty was accepted by United States District Judge Christopher F. Droney. It is a violation of federal law for a convicted felon to possess a firearm that moved in interstate or foreign commerce.

U.S. Attorney O'Connor explained that TORRALES had been indicted on October 22, 2003 by a federal grand jury in New Haven and charged with one count of possession of a Glock 9 millimeter handgun, and one count of possession of a spare magazine containing ten rounds of hollow-point ammunition manufactured by the Federal Cartridge Company, after having previously been convicted of a felony offense. At the plea proceeding, TORRALES pleaded guilty to the firearms charge and admitted under oath that, on July 19, 2003, while in the driveway of his girlfriend's house at 275 Barnum Avenue in Bridgeport, he knowingly possessed the Glock 9 millimeter pistol. He also admitted that, prior to that time, he had been convicted of two felony offenses in Connecticut: Sale of a Controlled Substance and Possession of Narcotics. Detectives with the Bridgeport Police Department arrested TORRALES on that date, and he has been in state custody since. He continued to have unrelated pending state charges and, since his arrest date, was found to be in violation of his state probation. He has not yet been sentenced on that violation.

When TORRALES is sentenced by Judge Droney on May 3, 2004 at 10:00 a.m., he faces a maximum term of ten years' incarceration and a maximum fine of $250,000.

"This case is a direct result of our collaboration with the States Attorney's Office for the Fairfield Judicial District and is yet another example of how well Project Safe Neighborhoods is working in Bridgeport to remove the most dangerous felons from the street and thereby reduce the amount of violence in our community," U.S. Attorney O'Connor stated.

This matter was investigated by the Bridgeport Police Department and the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco and Firearms. This case is being prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Robert M. Spector.

The Project Safe Neighborhoods Initiative is aimed at reducing gun violence, deterring illegal possession of guns, and improving the safety of residents in Bridgeport and other Connecticut cities. Participants in the initiative 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