New Haven Man Sentenced to More Than 3 Years in Prison for Illegally Possessing Loaded Handgun

John H. Durham, United States Attorney for the District of Connecticut, announced that MAHDI HENDERSON, 25, of New Haven, was sentenced today by U.S. District Judge Vanessa L. Bryant in Hartford to 37 months of imprisonment, followed by three years of supervised release, for illegally possesses a loaded handgun. 

According to court documents and statements made in court, on November 22, 2017, as part of an unrelated investigation, members of the New Haven and Hamden police departments executed a search warrant at a New Haven residence and encountered Henderson and three other individuals inside the residence.  During the search, law enforcement discovered a loaded .22 caliber Smith & Wesson handgun under the couch where Henderson had been sitting.  Subsequent forensic analysis of the handgun revealed Henderson’s DNA on the trigger of the gun.

Henderson’s criminal history includes felony convictions for assault in the first degree, possession of a pistol without a permit, and burglary in the second degree.

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.

Henderson has been in state custody for a violation of probation since October 23, 2018.  On July 30, 2019, he pleaded guilty in federal court to one count of possession of a firearm by a convicted felon.

This matter was investigated by the Federal Bureau of Investigation, Drug Enforcement Administration, New Haven Police Department and Hamden Police Department, with the assistance of the Connecticut Forensic Science Laboratory.  The case was prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney Nathaniel J. Gentile.