BRIDGEPORT, CT – Marquis Jerome Pollard, 42, of Yemassee, South Carolina, is headed to federal prison for eight years – 96 months – after a brazen gun trafficking operation that flooded Connecticut streets with illegal firearms. Pollard was sentenced today by U.S. District Judge Stefan R. Underhill, a punishment U.S. Attorney Vanessa Roberts Avery says reflects the severity of his crimes.
The scheme, uncovered by an ATF Task Force in the spring of 2021, involved Pollard using ‘straw purchasers’ in South Carolina to acquire at least 17 firearms. He then transported those weapons north, selling them on the black market in Connecticut for a hefty profit. Investigators caught Pollard red-handed on April 19, 2021, completing a $1,500 transaction for a 9mm Glock and a drum magazine in New Haven. That Glock was one of five purchased in a single month from a Port Royal, South Carolina pawn shop.
Pollard didn’t just deal in guns, he ran from the law. On May 3, 2021, ATF agents surveilled Pollard as he picked up two more handguns in South Carolina and met with a purchaser. When law enforcement moved in, Pollard bolted, leading officers on a dangerous high-speed chase. He drove on sidewalks, barreled over curbs, and finally abandoned his vehicle before attempting to flee on foot. Inside the car, investigators recovered the two newly acquired handguns, along with a loaded .40 caliber pistol and a 30-round magazine.
The fallout from Pollard’s operation is chilling. So far, six of the 17 firearms he trafficked have been linked to crimes. One turned up in the hands of a convicted felon in New Haven. Another was recovered at the scene of a shooting in Hamden. A third was used in a New Haven shooting. A fourth ended up with a juvenile in South Carolina involved in multiple offenses. Most recently, a gun linked to Pollard was found on an individual fleeing from law enforcement in Hamden, along with a quantity of crack cocaine. Nine firearms remain unaccounted for – potential ticking time bombs on the streets.
Pollard, already a convicted felon, knew he was breaking the law by possessing firearms. Federal law explicitly prohibits those with felony convictions from owning guns that have crossed state lines. He was originally charged in both Connecticut and South Carolina, but the case was consolidated here. Quinn Mooring, 42, of New Haven, who aided Pollard by possessing a firearm illegally, has already pleaded guilty and is awaiting sentencing. The straw purchasers in South Carolina have also been charged and convicted.
The investigation was a collaborative effort between the ATF, West Haven Police, New Haven Police, Beaufort Police, and the Beaufort County Sheriff’s Office. Assistant U.S. Attorney handled the prosecution. Pollard has been detained since his arrest in May 2021 and pleaded guilty to two counts of unlawful possession of a firearm by a felon on October 28, 2022. This case serves as a stark reminder of the interstate pipeline fueling gun violence and the ATF’s commitment to disrupting it.
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