Deirdre M. Daly, United States Attorney for the District of Connecticut, announced that RICHARD DAVIS, also known as “Quan Bezel,” 21, of New Haven, was sentenced today by Senior U.S. District Judge Alfred V. Covello in Hartford to 30 months of imprisonment, followed by three years of supervised release, for illegally possessing ammunition.

According to court documents and statements made in court, on January 10, 2014, DAVIS possessed 15 rounds of .22 caliber ammunition. Prior to that date, DAVIS had been convicted of multiple felony offenses, including carrying a pistol without a permit, theft of a firearm and sale of a controlled substance.

It is a violation of federal law for a person previously convicted of a felony offense to possess ammunition that has moved in interstate or foreign commerce.

This prosecution stems from Project Longevity, a comprehensive initiative to reduce gun violence in Connecticut’s major cities. Through Project Longevity, community members and law enforcement directly engage with members of groups that are prone to commit violence. A critical component of the Project Longevity strategy is the “call-in,” a face-to-face meeting where Project Longevity partners engage group members and deliver a community message against violence, a law enforcement message about the consequences of further violence and an offer of help for those who want it. DAVIS and several associates attended a call-in in November 2012.

DAVIS has been detained since his arrest on February 27, 2014. On July 30, 2014, he pleaded guilty to one count of possession of ammunition by a previously convicted felon.

This matter was investigated by the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives, the Federal Bureau of Investigation and the New Haven and West Haven Police Departments. The case was prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney H. Gordon Hall.