Hartford’s Kelvin Peters Cops 37 Months for Loaded Handguns

Hartford man Kelvin Peters, 42, is headed to federal prison for more than three years after being caught with two loaded handguns in Enfield — one of them illegally stripped of its serial number. U.S. District Judge Alvin W. Thompson handed down a 37-month sentence on Thursday, followed by three years of supervised release, sealing Peters’ fate in a case rooted in repeat gun law violations.

The bust went down on May 9, 2018, when Enfield Police pulled over a vehicle in which Peters was riding as a passenger. A routine search turned up the Bersa Thunder 380 handgun and a High Point Model C9 9mm pistol — both loaded, both illegal in Peters’ hands. He didn’t deny it. During questioning, Peters admitted flat-out: the guns were his.

That admission landed him in federal crosshairs. On October 15, 2018, Peters pleaded guilty to one count of possession of firearms by a convicted felon — a charge that hits hard given his extensive criminal past. State court records show multiple drug convictions, but it’s the 2004 federal gun conviction that echoes loudest: seven years behind bars for the same crime.

History repeated itself when Peters was taken into federal custody on August 1, 2018. He’s been locked up ever since, awaiting judgment. Prosecutors didn’t go easy, citing his pattern of arming himself despite being legally barred. Assistant U.S. Attorney Michael J. Gustafson, who handled the case, emphasized the danger posed by felons re-arming in communities already strained by violence.

The investigation was a joint push by the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives (ATF) and the Enfield Police Department. Their collaboration falls under Project Safe Neighborhoods (PSN), a federal initiative aimed at cracking down on repeat violent offenders and reducing gun crime through heightened enforcement and prosecution.

For Peters, the message is clear: federal time stacks up fast when you’re a felon caught with loaded weapons. Now, after 37 months of federal lockup, he’ll face the streets again — under watch, under law, and under the shadow of choices that keep landing him behind bars.