ERIC D. COX, Gun and Drug Offenses, Connecticut 2020

**Southington Man Sentenced to Prison for Gun and Drug Offenses**

A Southington man was sentenced to 29 months of imprisonment and two years of supervised release for gun and drug offenses stemming from a shooting in Hartford in 2020. ERIC D. COX, 43, was found guilty of one count of unlawful possession of a firearm by a felon and one count of possession of cocaine.

In a violent altercation near Hartford Hospital on September 4, 2020, Cox pulled out a gun and fired multiple shots at the individual who slashed him and others in the vicinity, resulting in a bystander being shot multiple times. Police found several cartridge casings on Jefferson Street and a .40 caliber semi-automatic pistol outside the hospital’s emergency department. A subsequent search of Cox’s car revealed a bag containing approximately 28 grams of cocaine.

Cox’s DNA was found on the firearm, and his criminal history includes a federal conviction in 2008 for a crack cocaine distribution offense. A jury found Cox guilty on November 21, 2025.

U.S. District Judge Victor A. Bolden sentenced Cox to 29 months of imprisonment. Cox was released on $100,000 bond and is required to report to prison on August 6. The case was prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorneys Robert S. Dearington and Mary G. Vitale, with the assistance of the Drug Enforcement Administration and the Hartford Police Department.

The Hartford State’s Attorney’s Office prosecuted the other individual involved in the altercation. This incident highlights the danger of gun violence and the importance of holding perpetrators accountable.

David X. Sullivan, United States Attorney for the District of Connecticut, announced the sentencing. ‘This case demonstrates our commitment to combating gun violence and the illegal trafficking of narcotics,’ Sullivan said.

The case is a reminder that our community will not tolerate such violent crimes and that those who commit them will face justice.

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