New Haven Man Admits Illegal Gun Possession

Deirdre M. Daly, United States Attorney for the District of Connecticut, announced that SHAWN HILL, 31, of New Haven, pleaded guilty today in Hartford federal court to one count of possession of a firearm by a convicted felon.  The jury in the case had been picked and HILL’s trial was scheduled to begin this morning.

According to court documents and statements made in court, on December 12, 2012, ATF agents and New Haven Police officers executed a search warrant at a residence on Norton Street in New Haven where HILL had been residing.  As New Haven SWAT team members forced entry into the second floor apartment, HILL discarded a fully-loaded Sig Sauer, P229, .40 caliber pistol through a window in a bedroom where a 9-year-old child was sleeping.  The pistol was quickly recovered by law enforcement and HILL was arrested.

The firearm had been reported as stolen from Wilmington, North Carolina.

HILL’s criminal history includes several felony convictions.  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.

HILL is scheduled to be sentenced by U.S. District Judge Robert N. Chatigny on September 14, 2015, at which time he faces a maximum term of imprisonment of 10 years and a fine of up to $250,000.

HILL has been detained since his arrest.

This matter has been investigated by the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives, and the New Haven Police Department.  The case is being prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney John H. Durham.