Jaime Diaz, Unlawful Possession and Dealing in Firearms, Connecticut 2021

A Hartford man has been indicted for allegedly selling firearms to others in exchange for cash and narcotics, according to federal authorities.

Jamie Diaz, 29, was arrested today in connection with the charges, which were brought by a federal grand jury in Hartford on August 31.

Diaz appeared before U.S. Magistrate Judge Thomas O. Farrish in Hartford, pleaded not guilty to the charges, and was released on a $25,000 bond.

As alleged in the indictment, Diaz purchased approximately 17 handguns from two Connecticut firearm dealers between August 2020 and November 2021. He then sold these firearms to others in exchange for cash and narcotics, authorities said.

On November 30, 2021, ATF special agents interviewed Diaz and seized the only firearm that remained in his possession. A second firearm Diaz purchased was recovered by the Hartford Police Department from an individual charged with drug trafficking. The remaining guns have not been located.

The indictment charges Diaz with one count of unlawful possession of a firearm by a prohibited person, which carries a maximum term of imprisonment of 10 years, and one count of dealing in firearms without a license, which carries a maximum term of imprisonment of five years.

U.S. Attorney Vanessa Roberts Avery stressed that an indictment is not evidence of guilt. Charges are only allegations, and a defendant is presumed innocent unless and until proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt.

This matter is being investigated by the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms, and Explosives (ATF) and prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney A. Reed Durham as part of Project Safe Neighborhoods (PSN), a program aimed at reducing violent crime and gun violence.

This prosecution is part of Project Safe Neighborhoods (PSN), a program bringing together all levels of law enforcement and the communities they serve to reduce violent crime and gun violence, and to make our neighborhoods safer for everyone.

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