Brannon Winston, Unlicensed Firearms Dealing, Connecticut 2022

BRIDGEPORT, CT – Brannon Winston, 23, of Bridgeport, has confessed to running guns from Georgia to the streets of Connecticut, supplying weapons to known gang members. Winston pleaded guilty Friday before U.S. District Judge Alvin W. Thompson in Hartford to charges of firearm trafficking and related offenses, admitting he knowingly fueled the city’s violent underbelly.

Court documents reveal Winston personally purchased at least 18 firearms in Georgia, while also enlisting others to buy additional weapons on his behalf. The scheme wasn’t about sport shooting; the investigation, sparked by gun recoveries following multiple Bridgeport shooting incidents, directly linked those firearms to members of the East End and PT Barnum gangs. Winston wasn’t just selling guns – he was arming criminals.

Federal prosecutors indicted Winston on firearm trafficking charges back in March of 2022. He was released on a $100,000 bond, but seemingly couldn’t stay out of trouble. In December 2022, Bridgeport Police arrested him for possessing a loaded .357 caliber handgun with a high-capacity magazine. He’s been cooling his heels in federal custody ever since, a clear signal he wasn’t respecting the terms of his release.

Winston specifically pleaded guilty to one count of crossing state lines with the intent to engage in unlicensed firearms dealing and one count of receiving a firearm while already under indictment. The charges carry a hefty penalty. Judge Thompson has scheduled sentencing for December 20th, where Winston faces a maximum sentence of 25 years behind bars. That’s a quarter of a century for peddling the tools of violence.

The Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives (ATF) and the Bridgeport Police Department teamed up on the investigation, highlighting the need for interagency cooperation in tackling gun violence. Assistant U.S. Attorney Rahul Kale is prosecuting the case through Project Safe Neighborhoods (PSN), a Department of Justice initiative focused on reducing violent crime.

PSN isn’t just about arrests, though. It’s a broader strategy aiming to identify the root causes of violence and implement long-term solutions, including prevention and reentry programs. But in Winston’s case, the focus is squarely on accountability. He made a choice to profit from the misery of others, and now he’ll face the consequences.

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