Fitchburg Man Held Hostage, Beats Victim with Pistol in Chokehold

BOSTON – In a brazen display of violence, Satron Pridgen, 46, of Fitchburg, Massachusetts, pleaded guilty to being a felon in possession of a firearm and ammunition in Worcester federal court.

According to the indictment, on September 16, 2023, at approximately 1:30 a.m., Pridgen was outside of Mill City Pub in Fitchburg when an altercation broke out between two men. In a shocking turn of events, Pridgen approached a third man from behind, grabbed him in a chokehold, and then pulled out a loaded pistol, using it to beat the man in the head multiple times.

When law enforcement intervened, Pridgen fled the scene, attempting to discard the firearm in a dumpster before being apprehended. Pridgen’s actions were caught on camera, leaving no doubt about his involvement in the violent altercation.

Pridgen’s prior convictions include a November 1999 conviction of assault and battery by means of a dangerous weapon for which he was sentenced to 9 to 10 years in state prison, an October 2011 conviction of armed assault with intent to rob, assault and battery by means of a dangerous weapon causing serious bodily injury and possession of a firearm and ammunition as a career criminal for which he was sentenced to 10-12 years in state prison, and an October 2011 conviction of possession with intent to distribute a controlled substance and distribution of cocaine, for which he was sentenced to 9 to 10 years in state prison.

Pridgen is prohibited from possessing firearms and ammunition due to his numerous prior convictions. The charge of being a felon in possession of a firearm carries a sentence of up to 15 years in prison, up to three years of supervised release, and a fine of $250,000.

Assistant U.S. Attorney Kristen Noto of the Worcester Branch Office is prosecuting the case, with Acting United States Attorney Joshua S. Levy, James M. Ferguson, Special Agent in Charge of the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives, Boston Division, and Fitchburg Police Chief Ernest F. Martineau announcing the guilty plea.

This case is part of Project Safe Neighborhoods (PSN), a program aimed at reducing violent crime and gun violence by bringing together all levels of law enforcement and the communities they serve.