New Haven Man Sentenced to 41 Months in Federal Prison for Illegal Gun Possession
John H. Durham, United States Attorney for the District of Connecticut, announced that ERRIE McCLENDON, also known as “Buck,†29, of New Haven, was sentenced today by U.S. District Judge Vanessa L. Bryant in Hartford to 41 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 May 11, 2019, New Haven Police received information that McClendon was in possession of a firearm in Goffe Street Park in New Haven. After officers arrived at the park and identified McClendon, they approached him and instructed him to remove his hand from his sweatshirt pocket. McClendon then removed a handgun from his pocket and tossed it toward a bystander. The bystander, refusing to catch the gun, put his hands in the air and the gun fell to the ground. McClendon then struggled with the officers, but was eventually subdued. A loaded Ruger, model P85, 9mm pistol with an obliterated serial number, was recovered from the scene.
Prior to May 2019, McClendon had been convicted in state court of felony narcotics and larceny 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.
McClendon has been detained since June 19, 2019, when he was arrested on a state probation violation charge. On November 13, 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 Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives and the New Haven Police Department. This case was prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorneys Peter D. Markle and Jocelyn Courtney Kaoutzanis.
This prosecution has been brought though 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.
Department of Justice
Office of the U.S. Attorney
District of Connecticut
Source: Justice.gov