Hartford Man Sentenced to 33 Months in Federal Prison for Illegally Possessing Loaded Handgun

John H. Durham, United States Attorney for the District of Connecticut, announced that MARQUISE GODWIN, also known as Craig Godwin, 32, of Hartford, was sentenced today by U.S. District Judge Jeffrey A. Meyer in New Haven to 33 months of imprisonment, followed by three years of supervised release, for illegally possessing a firearm.

According to court documents and statements made in court, on June 3, 2018, Hartford Police encountered Godwin in his car after he was involved in a traffic accident on Main Street in Hartford.  At the time of the accident, Godwin, who was intoxicated, possessed a loaded .40 caliber Astra A75 handgun.

The firearm had been reported stolen during a burglary in Hartford in September 2017.

Godwin’s criminal history includes convictions in state court for weapons, narcotics, escape and risk of injury offenses.

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.

Godwin has been detained since June 3, 2018.  On November 27, he pleaded guilty to one count of possession of a firearm and ammunition by a convicted felon.

This matter was investigated by the FBI’s Connecticut Violent Crime Task Force and the Hartford Police Department.  The case was prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney Michael J. Gustafson.

This prosecution is part of 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.