Halfway House Worker Sentenced to 33 Months in Prison for Selling Assault Weapon to Convicted Felon

David B. Fein, United States Attorney for the District of Connecticut, announced that EDUARDO E. WOOLCOCK, JR., also known as “Eddy” and “X,” 51, of Bridgeport, was sentenced today by United States District Judge Robert N. Chatigny in Hartford to 33 months of imprisonment, followed by three years of supervised release, for selling an assault weapon to a convicted felon.

According to court documents and statements made in court, in November 2009, the Federal Bureau of Investigation received information from a resident of the Isaiah House, a halfway house in Bridgeport, that WOOLCOCK, a case manager at the halfway house, was attempting to sell two assault weapons. On November 11, 2009, the FBI arranged a phone call between the resident and WOOLCOCK to see if WOOLCOCK was still looking to sell the firearms. WOOLCOCK said that he only had one gun left, but that it was “the one you like.”

On November 13, the FBI conducted the controlled purchase of the firearm from WOOLCOCK. On that date, the resident of the halfway house, who WOOLCOCK knew was a convicted felon, met WOOLCOCK in a parking lot and purchased a .22 caliber semi-automatic rifle and 250 rounds of ammunition from WOOLCOCK in exchange for $1000 in FBI funds.

On September 26, 2011, WOOLCOCK pleaded guilty to one count of transfer of a firearm to a prohibited person.

WOOLCOCK has been detained since his arrest on August 18, 2011.

This case was investigated by the Federal Bureau of Investigation. The case was prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Brian P. Leaming.

The Project Safe Neighborhoods Initiative is aimed at reducing gun and gang violence, deterring illegal possession of guns, and improving the safety of residents of Connecticut’s cities. Participants in the initiative include community members and organizations as well as federal, state and local law enforcement agencies.