Deirdre M. Daly, United States Attorney for the District of Connecticut, announced that JOSE SERRANO, 30, of Hartford, was sentenced today by U.S. District Judge Robert N. Chatigny in Hartford to 12 months and one day imprisonment, followed by two years of supervised release, for illegally possessing a firearm.

According to court documents and statements made in court, in February 2015, during an ongoing investigation into drug trafficking activities in Hartford, the Federal Bureau of Investigation (“FBI”) obtained information that an individual, later identified as SERRANO, was seeking to sell a handgun. On February 11, 2015, SERRANO sold a Kel-Tec, Model P-11, 9mm handgun, which was loaded with nine rounds of ammunition, to an individual who was cooperating with law enforcement, in exchange for $750.

SERRANO was arrested at his residence on June 15, 2015. A subsequent search of his residence revealed approximately 300 rounds of assorted .380 and 9mm caliber ammunition, approximately five pounds of “Kisha Kole” synthetic marijuana packages, approximately 4.6 grams of marijuana and $6,523 in cash. Following SERRANO’s arrest, he and his wife forfeited two additional handguns.

In 2007, SERRANO was convicted of a felony offense involving unlawful possession of a handgun. 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.

SERRANO has been detained since his arrest. On September 3, 2015, he pleaded guilty to one count of possession of a firearm by a convicted felon.

State charges against SERRANO related to the possession of synthetic marijuana are pending.

This case was investigated by the Federal Bureau of Investigation’s Northern Connecticut Violent Crimes Task Force, which includes members of the Hartford Police Department, East Hartford Police Department, Connecticut State Police and Connecticut Department of Correction. The case was prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorneys Michael J. Gustafson and Gabriel J. Vidoni.