Bridgeport Man Admits Trafficking Guns from Georgia to Connecticut

Vanessa Roberts Avery, United States Attorney for the District of Connecticut, announced that TYREE THOMAS, 39, of Bridgeport, pleaded guilty today before U.S. District Judge Victor A. Bolden in New Haven to an offense relating to his illegal trafficking of firearms from Georgia to Connecticut.

According to court documents and statements made in court, Thomas’ criminal history includes felony convictions and he is prohibited from purchasing firearms.  Between approximately August 2021 and March 2022, Thomas traveled to Georgia multiple times where, using a straw purchaser, he acquired at least 20 firearms.   He then transported the firearms to Connecticut where he sold or transferred them to felons and others who were not licensed to possess them.  Several of the firearms that Thomas acquired in Georgia have been recovered by law enforcement in Connecticut, including two that were recovered in connection with homicides.

Thomas pleaded guilty to crossing state lines with the intent to engage in the unlawful dealing of firearms, an offense that carries a maximum term of imprisonment of 10 years.  A sentencing date is now scheduled.

Thomas was arrested on September 6, 2023.  He is released on a $100,000 bond pending sentencing.

This matter is being investigated by the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives (ATF), and the Bridgeport Police Department.  The case is being prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorneys Lauren Clark and Rahul Kale. through Project Safe Neighborhoods (PSN), a program bringing together all levels of law enforcement and the communities they serve to reduce gun violence and other violent crime, and to make our neighborhoods safer for everyone.  In May 2021, the Justice Department launched a violent crime reduction strategy strengthening PSN based on these core principles: fostering trust and legitimacy in our communities, supporting community-based organizations that help prevent violence from occurring in the first place, setting focused and strategic enforcement priorities, and measuring the results.  For more information about Project Safe Neighborhoods, please visit www.justice.gov/PSN.