Leonard Sikorski Pleads Guilty to Illegal Firearm Possession

Leonard Sikorski, 60, of New Milford, has pleaded guilty to a federal firearms charge after investigators discovered a 12-gauge Remington shotgun with an obliterated serial number stashed in a Danbury storage locker. The plea, entered before U.S. District Judge Janet Bond Arterton in New Haven, marks the latest legal blow for Sikorski, who is already behind bars on unrelated state charges.

Sikorski waived his right to indictment and admitted to transporting three rifles, two shotguns, and 1,561 live rounds of ammunition to two rented lockers in September 2015. On October 22 of that year, he confessed to federal agents that he stored the weapons and voluntarily allowed them to search and seize the contents. Among the haul, the Remington shotgun stood out—its serial number deliberately scraped off, a clear violation of federal law.

As part of the plea agreement, Sikorski agreed to forfeit all firearms and ammunition seized from the storage units. Federal law prohibits firearm possession by unlawful users of controlled substances, the very statute under which the forfeiture was justified. In addition, he consented to hand over five handguns and two rifles previously seized by Naugatuck and New Milford police during separate traffic stops—an admission that further exposes a pattern of illegal conduct.

The case, prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney Henry Kopel, was built through joint efforts by the Federal Bureau of Investigation, Connecticut State Police, and New Milford Police Department. Authorities say the investigation revealed not just a single violation, but a sustained effort to maintain an arsenal in defiance of federal regulations, with deliberate attempts to conceal the origins of at least one weapon.

Sikorski is currently serving a state sentence for illegally possessing explosives, a charge unrelated but equally damning. His federal sentencing is scheduled for January 13, 2017. He faces a maximum penalty of five years in prison and a fine of up to $250,000—a punishment that could extend his time behind bars well into the next decade.

The case underscores the federal crackdown on illegal firearms, particularly those with tampered identifiers. With serial numbers obliterated, tracing weapons used in future crimes becomes nearly impossible. Sikorski’s guilty plea sends a message: even when no shots are fired, the possession of a silent, untraceable weapon is a crime the feds won’t ignore.