BRIDGEPORT, CT – Brannon Winston, 24, of Bridgeport, is headed to federal prison after being sentenced to 40 months for fueling the city’s streets with illegally sourced firearms. U.S. District Judge Alvin W. Thompson handed down the sentence today in Hartford, adding three years of supervised release to Winston’s term.
Federal prosecutors detailed how Winston operated a cross-state gun pipeline, purchasing at least 18 firearms in Georgia – where he sometimes resided – and funneling them to buyers in Connecticut. The scheme didn’t stop there; Winston also enlisted others to purchase additional weapons on his behalf, effectively multiplying his illicit supply. The investigation, spearheaded by the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives (ATF) and the Bridgeport Police Department, revealed a disturbing connection: some of those guns ended up in the hands of members of the notorious East End and PT Barnum gangs.
The feds initially indicted Winston on firearms trafficking offenses on March 16, 2022. He was released on a $100,000 bond with a stark warning: any further federal felony committed while on release could add up to 10 years to his potential sentence. Winston didn’t heed the warning. Just nine months later, on December 21, 2022, Bridgeport Police arrested him for possessing a .357 caliber handgun with a high-capacity magazine. Ballistics confirmed the weapon had been used in a shooting on Bridgeport’s East Side just the day before.
That arrest effectively sealed Winston’s fate. The handgun, purchased in Jonesboro, Georgia, on November 11, 2022, became a key piece of evidence. He’s been locked up since January 3, 2023, awaiting the outcome of the case. On September 22, 2023, Winston pleaded guilty to one count of crossing state lines with the intent to engage in unlicensed dealing of firearms, and one count of receiving a firearm while under indictment – a clear violation of his initial release conditions.
Assistant U.S. Attorney Rahul Kale, prosecuting the case through Project Safe Neighborhoods (PSN), highlighted the program’s focus on targeting the most violent offenders and fostering community-based prevention and reentry initiatives. PSN, a Department of Justice initiative, aims to reduce violent crime through a collaborative approach involving law enforcement and local stakeholders. This case underscores the ATF and Bridgeport PD’s commitment to choking off the flow of illegal guns into the city.
Winston’s sentence sends a message, authorities say: those who profit from supplying weapons to criminals will face serious federal consequences. The investigation remains ongoing, with authorities hinting at the possibility of additional arrests related to the firearms trafficking ring. The ATF Boston Field Division led the federal probe.
Related Federal Cases
- Brannon Winston, Gun Trafficking, Bridgeport CT, 2023 · Connecticut
- Tyree Thomas, Gun Trafficking, Bridgeport CT, 2023 · Connecticut
- Brannon Winston, Gun Trafficking, Connecticut 2024 · Connecticut
- Bridgeport Gun Trafficker Sentenced to 40 Months in Prison · Connecticut
- Stephfan Sanderson, Gun Trafficking, Bridgeport CT, 2023 · Connecticut
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