East Hartford Man Charged with Illegally Possessing Gun in Hartford

John H. Durham, United States Attorney for the District of Connecticut, today announced that a federal grand jury in Hartford has returned an indictment charging GREGORY CRAWFORD, 36, of East Hartford, with unlawful possession of a firearm by a convicted felon.

The indictment was returned on October 20, 2020.  Crawford appeared today via videoconference before U.S. Magistrate Judge William I. Garfinkel and entered a plea of not guilty to the offense.

The indictment alleges that, on June 29, 2020, Crawford possessed a Haskell Hi-Point .45 pistol in Hartford.  Prior to that date, Crawford was convicted in state court of felony assault, robbery and narcotics charges.

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.

Crawford has been detained in state custody since his arrest by Hartford Police on June 29, 2020.

The charge of possession of firearm by a convicted felon carries a maximum term of imprisonment of 10 years.

U.S. Attorney Durham stressed that an indictment is not evidence of guilt.  Charges are only allegations, and the defendant is presumed innocent unless and until proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt.

This investigation is being conducted by the FBI’s Connecticut Violent Crime Task Force and the Hartford Police Department.  The case is being prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney David T. Huang.

This prosecution has been brought through Project Safe Neighborhoods (PSN), a program bringing together all levels of law enforcement and the communities they serve to reduce violent crime and make neighborhoods safer for everyone.