September 17, 2014

New Haven Man Sentenced to 33 Months in Federal Prison for Illegally Possessing Loaded Firearm

Deirdre M. Daly, United States Attorney for the District of Connecticut, announced that TYISHOUN MATHENEY, 20, of New Haven, was sentenced today by Senior U.S. District Judge Warren W. Eginton in Bridgeport to 33 months of imprisonment, followed by three years of supervised release, for being a convicted felon in possession of a loaded firearm.

According to court documents and statements made in court, on April 17, 2013, MATHENEY possessed a stolen semi-automatic pistol loaded with seven bullets in the magazine. MATHENEY was a member of the Grape Street Crips and claimed that he possessed the firearm for protection against members of a rival gang. The investigation also revealed that MATHENEY was involved in the distribution of crack cocaine. MATHENEY was previously convicted of a state burglary offense and, on October 17, 2012, was sentenced to five years of incarceration, 18 months to serve, and three years of probation. It is a violation of federal law for a person previously convicted of a felony offense to possess a firearm or ammunition that has moved in interstate or foreign commerce.

On August 20, 2013, MATHENEY waived his right to indictment and pleaded guilty to one count of possession of a firearm by a previously convicted felon.

This matter was investigated by the FBI’s New Haven Safe Streets Task Force, the New Haven, Hamden and Milford Police Departments, and the State of Connecticut Department of Correction. The case was prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorneys Anthony E. Kaplan and H. Gordon Hall.