Bridgeport Man Sentenced to More Than 6 Years in Prison for Drug Distribution and Firearm Possession Offenses

Vanessa Roberts Avery, United States Attorney for the District of Connecticut, announced that JONATHAN BONAPARTE, 36, of Bridgeport, was sentenced today by U.S. District Judge Omar A. Williams in Hartford to 80 months of imprisonment, followed by seven years of supervised release, for drug distribution and firearm possession offenses.

According to court documents and statements made in court, on March 30, 2022, law enforcement stopped Bonaparte’s vehicle after he was observed conducting hand-to-hand drug transactions.  Bonaparte was arrested after a search of his person revealed fentanyl, cocaine, and $2,382 in cash, and a search of his vehicle revealed 100 rounds of 9mm ammunition.  The next day, a court-authorized search of a home in Derby where Bonaparte resided revealed six firearms, eight extended magazines, ammunition, fentanyl, cocaine, and items used to process and package narcotics.

Bonaparte’s criminal history includes state felony convictions for robbery and firearm 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.

On March 20, 2024, Bonaparte pleaded guilty to possession with intent to distribute fentanyl and cocaine, and unlawful possession of firearms and ammunition by a felon.  He is currently detained.

This investigation was conducted by the Bureau of Alcohol, Firearms, Tobacco, and Explosives (ATF), and the Bridgeport Police Department.  The case was prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney Patricia Stolfi Collins, 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.