Michael Weinstein, Unlawful Possession of Ammunition by a Felon, Connecticut 2021

State: Connecticut
Category: Violent Crime
Source: <a href="https://www.justice.gov/usao-ct/pr/new-haven-man-sentenced-more-5-years-federal-prison-firearm-offense" style="color:#cc0000;" target="_blank" rel="nofollow noopener">DOJ Press Release ÃƒÂ¢Ã¢â‚¬Â Ã¢â‚¬â€

A 28-year-old New Haven man, Michael Weinstein, has been sentenced to 65 months in federal prison for violating federal firearm laws.

Weinstein, 28, was sentenced by U.S. District Judge Kari A. Dooley in Bridgeport, Connecticut, for a federal firearm offense.

According to court documents and statements made in court, in October 2020, law enforcement observed Facebook video posts of Weinstein firing a handgun at a Connecticut shooting range, and possessing ammunition. Specifically, on October 14, 2020, he possessed .40 caliber ammunition, manufactured by Speer in Idaho, at the shooting range.

A subsequent court-authorized search of Weinstein’s cellphone revealed a photo and multiple videos of Weinstein handling additional firearms.

Weinstein’s criminal history includes convictions in state court for criminal possession of a gun, conspiracy to commit robbery in the third degree, and robbery in the first degree. It is a violation of federal law for a person previously convicted of a felony offense to possess ammunition that has moved in interstate or foreign commerce.

Weinstein was arrested on a federal criminal complaint on November 18, 2020. On July 23, 2021, he pleaded guilty to unlawful possession of ammunition by a felon.

This matter was investigated by the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives (ATF). The case was prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney Conor M. Reardon.

This case is part of Project Safe Neighborhoods (PSN), the centerpiece of the Department of Justice’s violent crime reduction efforts. PSN is an evidence-based program proven to be effective at reducing violent crime. Through PSN, a broad spectrum of stakeholders work together to identify the most pressing violent crime problems in the community and develop comprehensive solutions to address them.

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