A 23-year-old Waterbury man is facing federal prison time after being indicted on charges of illegally possessing a firearm. Raekwon Overstreet was named in a grand jury indictment returned April 10, 2019, in Hartford, charging him with unlawful possession of a Springfield 9mm pistol — a crime under federal law due to his prior felony conviction.
Overstreet appeared before U.S. Magistrate Judge Robert M. Spector in New Haven, where he entered a plea of not guilty. He has remained in custody since February 19, 2019, the same day authorities say he possessed the firearm and was arrested on related state charges, including conspiracy to commit robbery in the first degree.
The indictment centers on Overstreet’s status as a convicted felon, which bars him from possessing any firearm that has traveled in interstate or foreign commerce — a threshold easily met in federal prosecutions. His prior conviction, handed down in state court, triggered the federal charge when the weapon was recovered.
If convicted, Overstreet faces a maximum sentence of 10 years in prison, followed by supervised release. Federal prosecutors are seeking to hold him accountable under strict gun laws aimed at repeat offenders and those with violent criminal histories.
U.S. Attorney John H. Durham, overseeing the case for the District of Connecticut, emphasized that the indictment is not evidence of guilt. “Charges are only allegations,” Durham said, reiterating the presumption of innocence until proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt in a court of law.
The investigation was conducted by the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives (ATF) and the Waterbury Police Department. Assistant U.S. Attorney Michael J. Gustafson is prosecuting the case, which was brought as part of Project Safe Neighborhoods — a federal initiative targeting violent crime through coordinated law enforcement action and community engagement.
Related Federal Cases
- Leonard Sikorski Pleads Guilty to Illegal Firearm Possession · Connecticut
- Stamford Man Pleads Guilty to Federal Firearm Possession · Connecticut
- Stephen Goins Sentenced to 37 Months for Firearm Possession · Connecticut
- Stamford Man Barnes Pleads Guilty to Gun Charge · Connecticut
- Aldric Bordeaux Gets 15 Years for Firearm Possession · Connecticut
Key Facts
- State: Connecticut
- Agency: DOJ USAO
- Category: Weapons
- Source: Official Source ↗
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