Milford Man Sentenced to 10 Years in Prison for Making Grenades and Selling Guns Intended for White Supremacist Group

David B. Fein, United States Attorney for the District of Connecticut, announced that ALEXANDER DeFELICE, 34, of Milford, was sentenced today by United States District Judge Janet C. Hall in Bridgeport to 120 months of imprisonment, followed by three years of supervised release, for his role in a conspiracy to sell firearms and explosive grenades to what he thought was a white supremacist group located outside of Connecticut.

On December 1, 2010, a federal jury found DeFelice guilty of one count of conspiracy, two counts of transferring a firearm to a convicted felon, one count of making explosive grenades, and one count of transferring explosive grenades. Following the jury’s verdicts, DeFelice also pleaded guilty to two counts of possession of a firearm by a previously convicted felon.

“I want to commend the members of the FBI’s Joint Terrorism Task Force for their diligent and important work in investigating this matter,” stated U.S. Attorney Fein. “The U.S. Attorney’s Office will continue to work with our law enforcement partners to protect the safety of all Americans and prosecute those who seek to harm anyone whose race, ethnicity, or religious beliefs differ from his or her own.”

According to the evidence at trial, in late 2008 and early 2009, DeFelice associated with a cooperating witness working under FBI supervision. DeFelice and the witness attended meetings of a white supremacist group known as the Connecticut White Wolves, and drove to and from meetings of another such group known as North East White Pride. The cooperating witness had identified himself to DeFELICE as a member of a large, out-of-state white supremacist group known as the Imperial Klans of America, or “IKA.” Also, the witness let it be known that he was a convicted felon. Over the course of a series of discussions about firearms, DeFelice offered to sell the cooperating witness semi-automatic weapons and ammunition.

On March 9, 2009, DeFelice advised the cooperating witness that he had a deal arranged and, later that evening, the witness went to meet DeFelice in the garage of his home in Milford. Also in the garage were William Bolton, of Milford, and Edwin Westmoreland, of Stratford. After some discussion, DeFelice and the other defendants sawed off the barrel of a shotgun and sold it to the cooperating witness for $300.

The evidence also showed that, on March 23, 2009, DeFelice arranged a meeting with the cooperating witness in the parking lot of a Hamden shopping plaza, and told the witness he could arrange to provide the witness’ “people,” referring to the IKA, with grenades and other live explosive devices. Eventually, DeFelice requested, and the cooperating witness provided, three empty grenade shells that DeFelice advised would be converted into live grenades.

On November 11, 2009, DeFelice and Westmoreland sold a rifle and a shotgun to the cooperating witness.

On January 23, 2010, DeFelice, with Westmoreland’s assistance, completed making the explosive grenades and sold and delivered them to the cooperating witness for $3,000.

On January 28, 2010, five days after the grenades sale, the FBI conducted a court-authorized search of DeFelice’s residence, where they found and seized a 12-gauge shotgun, live rounds of ammunition of various calibers, and several items used to make the explosive grenades. DeFelice was arrested at that time.

DeFelice has been detained since his arrest.

On June 29, 2010, Edwin Westmoreland pleaded guilty to one count of sale of a firearm to a convicted felon, and one count of conspiracy to sell firearms to a convicted felon and to make and transfer unregistered firearms consisting of explosive grenades. On December 9, 2010, he was sentenced to 40 months of imprisonment.

On August 18, 2010, William Bolton pleaded guilty to one count of Hobbs Act robbery conspiracy, and one count of sale of a firearm to a convicted felon. He awaits sentencing.

U.S. Attorney Fein commended the joint investigation of this matter, which has been conducted by the Joint Terrorism Task Force, notably the Federal Bureau of Investigation, the Connecticut State Police, the U.S. Secret Service, and the Federal Air Marshal Service, with the assistance of the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms, and Explosives, the U.S. Marshals Service, the U.S. Army - Criminal Investigation Command, and the Milford, Ansonia, Stratford, and New Haven Police Departments.

This case is being prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorneys Henry K. Kopel and Peter S. Jongbloed and Trial Attorney David Cora of the Department of Justice’s National Security Division.