CHASE DRALLE, Receipt of Trafficked Firearm, Connecticut 2024

Trumbull Man Sentenced to 30 Months in Federal Prison for Firearm Offense

A Trumbull man has been sentenced to 30 months in federal prison for his role in a firearm trafficking scheme. CHASE DRALLE, 21, also known as “Chevy,” was sentenced on May 2, 2024, by U.S. District Judge Omar A. Williams in Hartford, Connecticut.

According to court documents, Dralle was involved in the receipt of a trafficked firearm. He paid more than $700 for a 9mm firearm to Stefan Bagley, Jr. in October 2023. The firearm was one of approximately 20 handguns purchased by Bagley from licensed dealers and then trafficked to customers, including Dralle.

The investigation revealed that Bagley would scratch the serial numbers off the firearms, making them more difficult to trace. Dralle was arrested on December 18, 2023, and pleaded guilty to the charge on May 2, 2024. He has been detained since August 21, 2024, when his bond was revoked.

Bagley, who is awaiting sentencing, pleaded guilty to a related charge. The majority of the firearms purchased by Bagley remain unaccounted for.

The case is being prosecuted under the new criminal provisions of the Bipartisan Safer Communities Act, which was enacted in June 2022. The Act targets the unlawful trafficking and straw-purchasing of firearms.

This matter is being investigated by the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms, and Explosives (ATF), the Bridgeport Police Department, and the Connecticut State Police. The case is being prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney Kenneth L. Gresham.

This case is part of Project Safe Neighborhoods (PSN), a program aimed at reducing gun violence and other violent crime. The Justice Department launched a violent crime reduction strategy in May 2021, strengthening PSN based on four core principles: fostering trust and legitimacy in communities, supporting community-based organizations, setting focused and strategic enforcement priorities, and measuring results.

Source: https://www.justice.gov/usao-ct/pr/trumbull-man-sentenced-30-months-federal-prison-illegal-receipt-firearm